Bargain of Shadows
by SSJPabs
Summary: A bridge between Shadow of the Colossus and ICO. Three fugitives arrive in the Cursed Land only to become embroiled in a series of events that will change the people of Cursed Land forever.
1. Chapter 1

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 1

The rain fell in sheets, soaking the three travelers even through their thick, treated cloaks. It was falling so hard that they could barely see ahead to keep their horses from stumbling over the ground. Even the trees did little to stop it. The travelers galloped as fast as they dared along the line of cliffs that the forest ended in. They had a feeling of desperation about them, the air of a quarry that knows it's the end of a long chase and there is nothing to be done about it. The cliffs they paced were less than half a dozen meters high, but they might as well have been a hundred for the lack of handholds or paths to cross them they might almost have been smoothed out by a giant sculptor, patiently wearing away the stone to achieve uniformity. Because of the wild ride, their hoods fell back to expose their faces, revealing two men and a woman with red hair who leaned against the necks of their mounts and kicked their heels in palpable desperation.

The woman kept looking back over her shoulder to see if their pursuers were any closer and praying that her black and white horse wouldn't trip. She didn't see anyone but feared she wouldn't until they were almost on top of her and the others. Flapping the reigns in a useless attempt to coax more speed out of the tiring Argo, she tried to think of something, anything they could do. Suddenly the man who was in the lead, yanked back savagely on his reins causing his dark brown mount to rear back on its heels with an angry neigh. The woman struggled to slow her horse and galloped past him before turning around as did the other ride, a tall black man.

"Why stop!" she demanded.

"They'll be on us in a minute!" the black man snarled throwing a nervous glance back along the cliffs to the east.

"Kaarn, I swear I saw an opening in the cliffs!" the first man said pointing at an ivy covered section of the wall.

"Ryu are you crazy? There's nothing there!" Kaarn raged but dismounted and drug his own horse over to the wall for a closer look. He ran his hands against the moss and suddenly froze. "Well I'll be damned, I don't know how I didn't see it before. I think it's wide enough to get the horses through. Alessa, get over here!"

"I don't see anything!" the woman protested but followed the others closer to the cliff.

Just as she was wondering if her companions were hallucinating, Alessa saw an opening in the cliff wall, a path guarded by pillars that were hewn out of the rock on either side, marking the entrance to a long tunnel open to the sky but with a shinning light at the end, one very different from the rain on this side of cliffs. She slid off Argo's back and patted the animal as he sucked air, his great sides heaving and foam clinging to his muzzle. She followed close behind Kaarn and his mare leading Argo at a careful walk through the path.

"They can't miss this place if the path is wide enough for the horses," she whispered, surprised at how the tunnel blunted the sound of the falling rain. It seemed like barely a shower was falling.

"We almost did," Kaarn threw over his shoulder. He looked as exhausted as Alessa felt, his arms and face scratched by their wild ride through the forest.

"Besides we can hold them off from here if your bow stayed dry enough."

Alessa pulled a bowstring from the little waterproof bag she had at her belt. She struggled to fit it around the bow when she bumped into Kaarn.

"That's far enough," she heard Ryu say farther down the passage. "They shouldn't be able to see us easily."

"I wouldn't want to go after us in this little path," Kaarn added.

Alessa handed her reigns to Ryu and squeezed past Argo as Ryu pulled them farther back into the tunnel through the cliffs. It had been made for quick shots from cover, or horseback if one had the skill for it. Kaarn handed his reins to Ryu as well and began to fit an arrow to his crossbow, even more lethal in the narrow space of the path than before. He took a position on one knee, leaning his arm on it to steady the aim of the crossbow while Alessa stood above him bow drawn and ready. A minute passed, then another. Then there was the sound of horses and the curses and metallic clangs of a sudden stop and the three travelers waited while they heard the shouts of confusion by their pursuers. Finally there was the sound of horses riding away slowly and all three of them breathed a sign of relief as they unstrung their arrows. Alessa leaned back against the rock wall as Kaarn sat.

"Did we really escape that easily?" she wondered.

"A wild ride through a forest in a driving rain and you call that easy?" Ryu muttered.

"Point taken but how could they not spot the path?" Alessa persisted. She was already moving to take her horse back from Ryu.

"I don't know and don't care," Kaarn replied. "What I do care about is what we do now."

"We should follow this path through the cliffs," Ryu said. "I don't want to go back into that forest again and there's a light down there, we should be able to get out in a little while. I'd like to rest somewhere a little easier than we usually do." Alessa and Kaarn could agree with that, so after making sure everything was once again set, he took the lead through the pass with Alessa in the middle and Kaarn in the rear. The path widened until it was a comfortable for them and their mounts. The light ahead of them grew brightly until the glare forced them to avert their eyes. A wind picked up as well, blowing their wet cloaks out behind them and tossing Alessa's long red hair into tangles.

"How long does this passage go on?" Kaarn shouted.

"I think, I'm out and—Oh my god!" Ryu suddenly stopped with a muffled exclamation that made Alessa and Kaarn hurry after him. They stood on a ledge of stone with worked stone glyphs carved into the surface, behind them on either side of the path two identical pillars to stood guard like their brothers at the entrance. Alessa barely noticed as Kaarn pushed at her from behind and she moved to let him stand on the ledge as well.

Alessa's view of the lands beyond took her breath away. The ledge they were on soared at least 100 meters above the sandy plain below. To either side of the plain were sandstone cliffs rising almost as tall as the ones they had crossed rising away to the south both east and west. Below them was a giant pit with a lake set at the bottom and an oasis farther on, a verdant blot on the golden-brown land below. Along the center of the plain, straight as an arrow, a line of hills of green-white stone stretched south to the marvel that had stunned the travelers.

It was so tall, at first Alessa thought it was a mountain but then she realized that its shape was too regular, to blocky to be any natural formation. It was a structure, something built by hands that towered easily above the cliffs they were on. They had not seen it before only because of they were so close to the cliff face and the trees and because they had been concerned with pursuit. Even from this distance she could spot what had to be enormous pillars standing out from the base and giant arches built halfway up onto the structure that tapered gradually to the top, a smooth pillar of stone that had curious square buttresses built on either size. The three travelers just look at it in mingled wonder and awe.

"If we can see it so well from here…" Ryu managed.

"It must be enormous," Kaarn finished.

"I've never seen anything like it," Alessa replied. "Not anywhere."

"Can we get down to the plain?" Kaarn asked tearing his gaze away from the temple. He led his horse closer to the edge and looked around mouth twisting. "I can't see anything we can use… are we stuck up here?"

"No," Ryu said quite clearly. "We're going to get down there and we're going to find out what that thing is."

Kaarn looked at him. "What? Shouldn't we go…?" he began but Ryu shook his head vehemently.

"No," he said. "I'm tired of running. We're safe enough for now. I intend to satisfy my curiosity."

"It doesn't matter if we can't get down there," Alessa pointed out. "What will we do with the horses, leave them up here? Set them free?" Ryu didn't say anything but turned again and looked out over the strange land they had emerged into. He clearly wanted to go down there and Alessa couldn't blame him, not after seeing that incredible temple that was rising up out of the plains.

"I think I found a path!" Kaarn said excitedly waving them over by the ledge. Sure enough, there was a path, though it was mostly switchbacks and rubble, it was something that the horses could go down and it looked like it led all the way to the valley floor.

"So we're going down there…?" Alessa said and the two other men both nodded. She took a breath, her stomach never particularly easy at the prospect of heights.

"We should tie a rope to each other, in case someone falls. I don't want to take any chances."

They did so, letting Ryu take the lead down the path leading his own horse Nico followed by Kaarn and Alessa once again in the rear position. It took them half a day to get down the cliffs. The path seemed more rocks and pebbles than any kind of place meant to walk, but it held their weight well enough. Ever few twists, the path would widen into a small stone landing where they could rest for a bit before continuing down. Each step was agonizingly careful, placed just so to prevent any disaster and even so, the travelers must have slipped a half-dozen times on their way down to the valley floor. Once they finally reached the ground, Alessa felt no qualms about collapsing back against the rock face and sucking air for a few minutes.

"You were right," Kaarn nodded to Alessa who barely heard him. "The plain is mostly sand. There are some bushes against the rock though."

"It's getting late, we should try to make it to that oasis we saw from the ledge," Ryu added already mounting up on Nico. Kaarn nodded, and Alessa groaned as she got back on her horse. They were all exhausted from the ride and the climb, and so the trip to the oasis took perhaps longer than it might have. Their first obstacle was to climb up over the line of hills that pierced the middle of the plain like some sort of road.

The hills themselves were made of a different type of stone than the sandstone cliffs or the sandy soil. It was far paler and there were some indications that there had been some carving on it. Grass had also sprouted all along the line of hills, odd for that dry land, masking them even more. There was also grass around them, sprouting up out of the soil, almost like the hills were slowly sending life into the sandy ground. By the time there were over the hills and to the other side, the sun was setting in the sky. Luckily the oasis was straight away over relatively flat ground and the three finally reached it only a short time after sunset. The oasis consisted of a pool of water with some trees and a few rocks from which the spring that filled the oasis came. It wasn't a very impressive thing, but it was green and the three travelers set up camp by it as well they could.

While Alessa searched for any broken branches from the few trees, Ryu set up a circle of rocks near the water. Not long after sunset, they had a fire going and they grateful for it when the night grew colder. Their horses were hobbled near by and were quietly cropping the sparse grass that grew up around the oasis. Kaarn set up a pot over the fire filling it with water from the oasis while they all added vegetables and some of their meat from the hunting they'd done in the forest. Alessa used her bow to shoot some of the fruit from the trees to scattered applause and passed it around. Wary at first, they discovered the fruit was delicious. It felt like their stamina had increased just from eating it. Half an hour later, the soup was ready and they ate lost in their own thoughts about the strange place they found themselves.

"You know, it's good to relax a little," Kaarn said. "We haven't slept much since the mountains."

"No," Ryu agreed. "I can't believe they've been tracking us this far from their territory."

"I know, we've been running a long time," Kaarn said with a frown. "How long has it been?"

"I… don't remember," Ryu laughed a little. "I met you in Dusard didn't I?"

"I think so. That was about a year before we reached Genria, wasn't it?" Kaarn continued.

"Yeah… we got there in the summer," he said with a glance at Alessa. "We were there almost two years before we had to run."

"I remember when Genria fell," Alessa said quietly keeping her eyes down. "When I left it tore my heart out, I never thought I'd have so much practice at running." There was bitterness in her voice, but only a little – the dominant theme was exhaustion.

"Nobody would recognize you now," Ryu mocked gently. "Dainty little Alessa who'd never help a weapon in her entire life. Now look at you, you'd fit in fine in an army I've ever seen. A perfect mercenary, who'd have thought."

He trying to alleviate the mood and Alessa recognized it, but decided to get a little angry anyway. She looked daggers at him but then sighed too tired to continue. "If my family were still alive, they'd probably order the guards to throw me out on the street. Servants, regular meals, seems like a dream. I was just into my teens when you showed up. You weren't that much older than I was, I don't think I would have gone with you if you'd hadn't been close to my age."

"There's something about this place," Kaarn said, changing the subject to cheer up the downcast redhead. "It feels… different."

"It really does," Alessa agreed at last. "It's like this place is… rested. Just more alive than anything I've seen before even this desert part of it. I'm glad we decided to explore it a bit, I'd like to find out more about it."

"You were learning to be a mage right?" Ryu said. Alessa nodded, wearing a wistful look.

"Then tomorrow we'll start exploring," Kaarn said. "But for now… I'm exhausted." The travelers agreed and the three of them began to prepare for bed under the star-filled skies, breaking out bedrolls and letting the fire get low.

"G'night princess," Ryu murmured after they were done.

"Don't call me that," Alessa protested, but he was already asleep.

The travelers woke up in the middle of the morning, not until the sun had climbed high enough in the sky to disperse the cool shadows of the rock they had sheltered in the night before. They collected their horses and had some more of the fruit on the trees to eat as they rode southwards along the line of the hills closer to the massive structure in the land. They made good time and by the early afternoon had reached a place where a giant chasm blocked their way closer to the temple. Looking down over the edge, Ryu reported seeing a beach and a large body of water that looked more like a bay than any kind of river. It stretched away to the west, carving a huge gorge in the land. They despaired a bit of making it to the other side, but then Kaarn spotted what looked like a natural rock bridge over the chasm.

They discovered it was sandwiched between two large hills and another path leading down towards the beach diverged off it to the east. They realized that the path towards the beach had some sort of railing and an odd line was carved into it, more evidence of the work of hands than the stunning temple. As they came out across the bridge, Kaarn looked up and pointed out the broken arches that were at the end of the path, they were so massive and worn they almost looked like part of the landscape by the shapes were too regular for natural formations.

They were so close to the giant temple that they could make out the details on the walls, the strange glyphs on certain sections almost like eyes or faces, the bursts of greenery that rose up along the whole of the temple, and the arches and buttresses that held up the temple as it tapered to the tip. Up close it was so awesome and enormous that the mind struggled to take in the sheer size of the thing. Alessa found herself staring at the temple, which was how she thought of it, almost to the extent of watching where she was going. It was only when she realized her horse Argo was wandering off that she looked down again and caught up to her companions.

The plain the temple was located it on was green and grassy, most of it short, gently waving in the breeze. It was also empty and bordered along the north and east by the ravine. They rode towards the hills that continued right up to the pillars that held up a ledge halfway up the temple. The hills looked just like the one they had seen on the other side of the ravine, in the desert.

"Those hills again," Kaarn wondered.

"They look like some sort of road… or bridge," Alessa put in.

"Indeed, they were a bridge!" another voice said in a ringing tone.

Alessa, Ryu and Kaarn all whipped around, looking right and left then Kaarn spotted the speaker pointing to him. The three looked up and standing on the hill above them was a figured dressed in a snowy robe, with a red-blue tabard with geometric shapes and curves stitched on it. A bizarre wooden mask covered his face, with eye and mouth holes cut into the mask.

"Who are you?" Ryu demanded.

"Strangers!" the robed man cried. "Travelers are not wanted in this place of ens and naught. You must leave here immediately and never return!"

"So kindly put," Alessa muttered, sharing a look with her friends.

"Why?" Kaarn asked. "We have done no harm. We just want to rest."

"That you are here is enough! You must leave now…" he said, raising his arms over his head, a gust of wind caught the tabard making it whip around the man in the robe.

"Wait just a minute—" Alessa began. She never finished because the man in the robe suddenly began chanting loudly in no language she had ever heard. The light around them subtly changed, becoming harsher and delineating everything in sharper lines. The only word Alessa could make out with any certainty was colossus.

"What is he…" Ryu started but broke off with a startled cry as a huge rumbling shook the ground around them, like an earthquake.

The horses of the travelers suddenly went mad, bucking and rearing with wild screams of fright forcing them to fight desperately to stay on and regain control. Seconds later, a sound like falling rocks came from the hills near where the man was standing and a there was tremendous upheaval as the hill grew in size, pulling up out of the earth and raining down dirt and grass. The hill rose higher and higher and giant arms spread out from it, stretching up to the sky and above a lump that could have been a head, until it was nearly the height of the pillars. A huge leg that ended in a cross between a hoof and the base of a pillar smashed down to the earth in front of them causing cracks to spread through the ground and dirt to fountain up in dark sprays. Then the giant thing rumbled and roared defiance and rage, thundering in a deafening roar that could be felt more than heard.

"Run!" Alessa shouted as she kicked Argo into full gallop. The powerful black stallion reached full speed in a dozen strides, panic fueling him so that Alessa could barely control him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kaarn and Ryu doing the same, spreading out but galloping in roughly the same direction as her.

Then the giant began to chase them, each time its feet came into contact with the earth, another ground shaking tremor reverberated making her horse struggle for balance even more. She threw a terrified look back to see the massive beast veering off, chasing one of her companions. She saw back brutally on the reins, hoping training could take the edge off Argo's panic and whirled her mount around in time to see a giant fist smash down right on top of Kaarn and his mare. A massive shockwave extended from the strike and huge cloud of dust was thrown up, obscuring even the giant hand.

"No!" she shrieked, her voice breaking with strain. She drew her bow, not caring that is was one built for quickness, not strength, knowing that her arrows could do nothing against the colossus. She fired anyway, knowing only she had to try, and fighting back the rage that threatened to overwhelm her at the thought of Kaarn dead.

She had to focus to aim the bow, and it forced her to study her target. It wasn't made entirely of rock, though most of its legs and waist were certainly stone. Along its arms and chest, huge patches of brown-gray fur sprouted, and its face was covered with what looked like a stone mask with eyeholes. She watched as it flexed the fingers of the hand that had smashed Kaarn, and fired one arrow after another at the giant chest, screaming with fury.

The arrow flew straight, sticking into the fur near the monster's left shoulder. Her next two arrows also struck there, but the only reaction the creature had was to give a little start of surprise as it threw its shoulders back like a person trying to dislodge a fly or mosquito. A second later the giant head turned towards her, focusing on her intently and the colossus began to lumber after her, laboriously changing direction. Alessa didn't even notice as she fired arrow after arrow at the creature and only annoyed at the increasing panic Argo was exhibiting under her.

"Alessa! Goddamn you Alessa, run!" Ryu was shouting. His own horse Nico was gone, and Ryu was standing with his longbow draw up in full extension with an arrow with a huge point at the end shaped like a chisel. Even at this distance she could see the effort he was using to keep it draw like that and a moment later the arrow shot from the bow and arched up towards the giant glancing off one of the rocky sections of the shoulder. Ryu swore in frustration.

Alessa kicked her frightened horse towards him at last as the monster began to chase after her. She passed Ryu at a gallop and pulled up sharply, forcing her horse into a vicious half turn that made the horse scream. She turned around in time to see Ryu loose a second arrow. Ryu was able to place the second arrow well, stabbing it just above the monster's mask and into his head. This time there was a reaction and the giant through his head back and howled bringing both arms up and grabbing at the air. Instead of resuming the chase however, the giant turned and grabbed at a large chunk of the hillside that had given it birth, crumpling it into a rough ball.

"Come on Ryu!" Alessa shouted. She kicked her mount at him and as she passed him she stuck her arm out and taking a deep breath. Ryu turned and leaped towards her one hand holding the bow, making the jump awkward. Somehow she grabbed Ryu and managed to swing him up behind her. He scrambled onto a sitting position behind her, wrapping his army so tightly around her middle that she struggled to breath. Sawing the reins hard to one side, she forced Argo into a lazy arc that ended in a sharp turn directly away from the giant. That saved their lives as the huge mess of dirt and stone rammed into the earth where they would have been had she kept going straight. Argo almost panicked threatening to throw them off. Alessa felt the same way but she kept him under control even as the creature behind her bent to pick up another projectile.

"There's Nico!" Ryu pointed to a spot in the shadow of the temple where his own mount was sucking air. She wasted no time in galloping towards it as Ryu shouted in her ear. "Distract him with your arrows, I need to use my sword!"

"How can a sword hurt that thing!" she shouted, then blinked away tears. "It killed Kaarn!"

"Maybe I can hamstring it or something," Ryu muttered. Though the words were calm, the harshness of his tone of screamed Ryu's anger and pain.

As they approached Nico, Ryu slid half stumbling to the ground and hurled himself to one side to avoid the still galloping Argo. Half stumbling in his haste, he reached Nico and with a savage pull, broke the wrappings off the blade lashed to the saddle. He mounted up while Alessa struggled to knock an arrow, wondering if it was possible to shoot a bow that size from horseback.

"I can't lose you too!" she shouted. Ryu snarled something angrily and turned his horse to face the monster. With a wordless shout of rage, he urged Nico to gallop towards it.

Alessa was astounded that the horses weren't in more of a panic. They had been in battles before, some even with artillery, but the giant monster was scaring her more than it scared them. Before she could waste anymore time on it, a whistling sound alerted her to another rock flying through the air that smashed to the field a dozen meters behind her. Alessa raced after Ryu and towards the giant colossus then pulled up short barely managed to avoid falling off.

She pulled back on the bow amazed that she could do it at without standing on the ground and praying she wouldn't slip. She knew she wouldn't get much force from it this way, but all she needed was a distraction as Ryu said. She fired arrow after arrow and saw them miraculously stick in the fur of the giant. She didn't know how much damage she did, but it couldn't have been much as another rock quickly came her way. She dodged it, and breathing heavily in near panic and tried to spot Ryu.

Ryu gripped his long curved blade and felt his focus narrow to a razor. Kaarn had been his friend, they had been together for years and now like that he was gone. Senselessly. Meaninglessly. He rode in a huge arc around the colossus looking for a place to strike but the pounding hooves of the thing had torn up the ground pretty badly and he was terrified his horse would stumble yet anger drove him to recklessness.

"C'mon Nico, don't give up on me now," he urged his mount as he rode behind the thing. Nothing…. Nothing… there!

The leg of the monster was covered in fur but even if he leaped from Nico's back, he wouldn't be able to reach it, not from the way the giant was moving his legs. He risked a glance at Alessa riding in a random pattern in front of the monster, occasionally stopping to shoot an arrow and dodging the rocks it was throwing. She was doing the best she could, but what could he do….

Then a boulder hit too close to her and her horse tumbled sending her sprawling as well. Ryu watched in horror as the giant approached her and raised a giant hand, bringing it down with a whistling sound to smash the ground where she lay just as it had with Kaarn. But Alessa was lucky, she had taken the fall well and even though she'd lost the bow she still rolled away in time to dodge the hand slap. Then Ryu heard her shout so loudly he could almost make out the words. The shocked look on her face was almost comical as the colossus jerked its hand up with a howl and clutched at it with its other. There was a person on it, with what looked like an axe buried in top of the giant's hand.

"Kaarn!" Ryu shouted, astonished. His friend was alive and causing the colossus no end of trouble. It shook its hand wildly to try and throw him off, but Kaarn had one hand on the hair of the back of the monster's hand and the other on his axe and was hanging on like grim death, he wasn't about to be shaken off. It was then that Ryu realized the monster was standing stock still the fur on its leg an invitation. He smiled wickedly.

"Let's go Nico!" he snarled, galloping towards that tantalizing leg. Gripping sword in his right hand, Ryu stood up on the saddle of his mount and leaped. For a heart freezing instant, he thought he wasn't going to make it but at the last second, he felt fur under his left hand and closed his fingers around it. The feel of it was bizarre, more like stiff rope than hair but he barely noticed as his vision was filled with a strange blue-green glow from a small patch on the leg. Feeling strangely calm, he raised his sword and stabbed into the center of the glow.

The response was immediate as the monster roared so loudly, that Ryu felt himself go deaf and his vision actually shook. The beast went down on one knee, and began to kick furiously as Ryu's grip began to slip on the fur. The glowing spot was gone and the fur around it seemed too thick to let his sword in for a second blow. Growling in frustration, Ryu's grip slipped and when the colossus kicked his leg, he was hurled into the air above the kneeling monster.

He tried to scream but his throat locked with terror as he flew above the monster. Then he was coming down, but much too fast as the colossus slowly stood up. He was going to miss, going to fall behind it and smash to the ground. His heart wanted to burst but then he saw a way. As he fell he stretched out his hand and grabbed onto the fur on the shoulders of the colossus. Amazingly, he made the grab and felt his arm nearly wrenched out of place. Somehow he stayed on and had kept his sword as the monster began to walk forward towards Alessa.

He risked a glance below and saw that Kaarn was on his hands and knees behind the monster, dazed but alive and retching. He began to climb up the back of the beast, slowly, looking for good places to grab though the fur made it easier than he thought it would. Finally he was up on the thing's shoulders, seeing a line of rocks jut out of the beast where a spinal column should be. Each step the monster took, shook him a little and forced him to pause every few meters.

Then he saw it again, the glowing blue circle on the left shoulder of the monster and he was overwhelmed with the desire to strike it. Climbing sideways he laboriously made his way to the shoulder, easier than holding onto the leg because he could actually balance on the monster's broad shoulders without much trouble. Setting himself over the blue circle, he raised his sword again and taking a deep breath, stabbed his blade into the center of it.

This time the colossus went insane. Its howls were so loud that Ryu felt his entire body shake, the noise even worse because he was so close to it. Then it jerked its shoulder and once again he went flying through the air, as it feel to its hands and knees. This time though, he saw once more the glow on the body of the monster that filled his vision. On top of its head just above the mask, the fur was obscured by the glow not of a circle this but a sinuous symbol made of shapes and curves. Bracing himself as he began to fall, he raised his sword to stab while still in the air and readied his other hand to grab the fur. Fierce anticipation filled him.

"Got you now, you son of a whore!" he screamed as he drove his sword all the way to the hilt into the symbol at the bottom of his fall. The colossus moaned loudly, and began to shake its head back and forth trying its best to shake him off. It also raised its hands and tried to beat him off of it, but succeeded only in knocking its own head about and making it stagger. Ryu managed to yank his sword free and kept stabbing the symbol again like a mad man as gouts of black blood spewed around him.

Kaarn groggily looked up in time to see Ryu flying through the air higher than the colossus. His eyes widened as he saw a flash of light from Ryu's sword as it plunged into the monster's head with the force of a lightning bolt. He saw his friend's mouth open and heard his shouts distantly. He was amazed at how loud Ryu was shouting to be heard over the roars of the monster and the pounding of its feet as it struggled to remove him. He looked over at Alessa to see her standing like a statue just in front of the colossus staring at Ryu driving his sword into the head.

Alessa saw the monster try to bend his head down to shake him off but Ryu used the blade sunk into its head as a platform and to her astonishment, braced himself with his feet against the head of the monster and stabbed him again in the strange glowing mark, this time while hanging on with one hand. Each time he stabbed fresh gouts of black spurted out like a fountain covering him and making a dark cloud surround the giant head. Ryu stabbed again and again as the beast stood to its full height and froze, creating a perfect tableau. Ryu gave a shout of triumph and using both hands, drove the sword into the symbol all the way to the hilt. The colossus jerked, and with a mighty groan, began to topple over, falling forward… right on top of Alessa.

With a panicked shriek, Alessa turned and ran, dropping her weapons and fled as fast as she could make her legs move, terrified she would trip and fall. Behind her she heard a growing hum through the air as the massive body fell. In desperation she hurled herself forward and saw the ground shake as the colossus crashed into it. A half second later she smashed into the ground face first, knocking the breath out of her and seeing stars. She lay still for a moment, wondering if she was dead, but the pain of breathing convinced her she was still alive and mostly well.

Alessa rolled over on her back and sat up to find herself face to face with the head of the dead giant. It had missed her by less than the length of her own body and she couldn't help but scream once more. Then she noticed that Ryu lay sprawled between her and the giant head. His body was a mass of scrapes and his own blood and he was covered in dust and the black blood of the giant. His sword lay not far from his right hand. She feared the worst, then sighed in relief as she had heard him groan. Crawling over to him, Alessa tossed the sword out of his reach and cradled his head in her lap.

"Is he alive!" Kaarn demanded, running up to her. He was dirty and his surcoat and armor were torn up and bloodied but he was alive.

"How are you alive?" she gasped. "I mean, Ryu's alive, but… I saw you smashed to bits!"

"I threw myself off, I just got knocked around," he replied kneeling down next to them.

"Alessa…" Ryu whispered. She was so startled she almost dropped him to the ground but then she steadied herself and looked into his eyes. "Kaarn?"

"Right here, friend," Kaarn said moving his head into Ryu's view. Ryu smiled tiredly.

"Got that son of a whore…"

"We certainly did," Alessa grinned.

"Good," he breathed, and closed his eyes. His breathing remained regular, he was only sleeping or so she hoped.

"We need to clean him up," Kaarn said, and Alessa nodded. "Stay with him, while I got look for our horses and that bastard in white. I'll find him, don't worry."

"You already have," said a voice. Alessa and Kaarn turned to see a figure approaching them—it was the man in white.


	2. Chapter 2

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 2

The white-robed figure threw back the white hood and raised the strange wooden mask revealing a male face. His close-cropped hair and eyebrows were snowy white, and white-gray stubble covered a strong jaw though strangely, his face was as smooth as a young man's. His pale blue eyes regarded them calmly and kindly, odd for someone who had just tried to kill them. The man stopped a short distance from them, obviously wary of coming too close.

"I have to admit," Kaarn snarled, "you've courage to stand there staring at us."

"I wish to… apologize for my actions," the old man said. He seemed faintly embarrassed, an odd stance to take to the presumed victims of his summoning.

"This had better be good, he had no cause to attack us," Kaarn muttered to Alessa.

"Hush," the redhead ordered. Turning to the man in the robe, she said, "I am sorry too, believe me. I can understand objecting to strangers, but this…?" She gestured vaguely at the pile of stone that was the fallen colossus then stared. The stone had lost its sharp edges, rounding until it seemed it had lain there for months instead of a few scant minutes. Tiny shoots of grass were already sprouting all over it, soon it would look like no more than another oddly shaped hill. "What was that thing?"

"We call it a colossus," the old man replied. "An ability we have gained in this place of intersecting points. A guardian from the will of the people and the bones of this land to prosecute a just cause."

"Some cause," Kaarn said.

"I believed you to be a threat," the man replied before Alessa could call Kaarn to task again.

"How do you know we're still not threats?" Kaarn persisted.

"Because your friend spotted the Vitals."

"Vitals? You mean that glowing symbol on its head?" Alessa asked.

"Yes, if you truly meant to sin against this land or the people in it, you would not have seen them. They resonate with the purity of your spirits. As a shaman of my people, it is my duty to guard this land. Despite my training, unfortunately, I can make a mistake as much as anyone," the old man offered quietly.

"Who are you?" Alessa asked, mystified.

"My name is Mordelon. I—but perhaps we should tend to your friend first," the old man said gesturing to the sleeping Ryu. "I have some skill at healing though I have no special abilities to speak of."

"Do you honestly think—" Kaarn began.

"Stop," Alessa said, using the command voice her family had taught her long ago. "Kaarn you know as well as I do he's not going to try and hurt us anymore. We know how to deal with the kind of wounds you get on the battlefield but I don't know much more than that."

She locked eyes with Kaarn for a moment, blue eyes meeting dark brown before he gave way with a nod. "I suppose it's all right."

"Thank you," the old man said. Approaching Alessa and Ryu, he knelt and placed one hand on Ryu's forehead and the other on Ryu's chest then smiled after a moment. "Your friend will be fine – I believe he is just exhausted. However, there are some herbs I know of that will restore his strength more quickly. If you would come back with me to my home, I have a small supply of them that I can prepare to treat him." The old man shook his head. "I have never heard of anyone slaying a Colossus."

"We did it together," Alessa said. "The three of us have been partners a long time. Thank you for offering to help. I'm Alessa by the way."

"My name is Kaarn," her friend said, then added, "Shouldn't one of us go get the horses? I'm sure they wouldn't stick around with that colossus running around."

"That should not be a problem," the shaman answered with an enigmatic smile. "In fact, I'm sure they'll be showing up any minute now."

"You're calling them somehow, aren't you?" Alessa said arching a brow at the shaman.

"Yes," the shaman replied. "With the power of this place, such things come as a matter of course. You have cloaks I see. We should wrap your friend in those to keep him warm. It would make no sense to discomfort him while he rests."

Alessa nodded while Kaarn removed his own cloak as well as Alessa's and with the shaman's help wrapped Ryu closely in them just as the sound of hooves on stone rang out. Looking up, Alessa saw their three horses Argo, Nico and Kaarn's mare trotting up to the shaman. She was astonished at their calmness and the ease with which the shaman handled them. Normally they would have been uncomfortable if any strangers had handled them but either something in his training or the powers he wielded seemed to relax them. Alessa recalled that they had not been as scared of the colossus as she had thought and wondered again about the strange land they found themselves in.

Rather than tie Ryu to Nico's back, Kaarn volunteered to steady him against his own mount as his mare was the least tired of the three. The shaman gave them another surprise when he mounted Nico, who submitted to him instantly with a word and a few touches. The shaman guided them to the southwest, somewhere close to what he claimed were a distant line of cliffs though they were barely a smudge on the horizon. The journey would take a few hours at most as the shaman warned them to skirt the giant temple widely.

"Trust me, you do not wish to enter the Shrine of Worship," he said warningly. "It has an evil reputation and even I do not go there accept at certain times and for very specific reasons that I do not need to tell you."

"But who built it?" Alessa wondered. "It's so huge, I've never seen anything that size before."

"There you would be delving into legend, young lady," the shaman replied with a chuckle. "My family has produced many shamans for my people but we do not know how it was built. The presence of the Shrine is always taken for granted even in our oldest tales. Some believe it was here when the world was crafted though I am not one of them. Despite its reputation it is still a marvel. I often forget how it would look to eyes unaccustomed to it."

"It looks like there are carvings all the way up it," Kaarn said.

"Indeed, and gardens almost to the summit," the old man agreed. "But come, let us speak of something else. I confess I am uneasy speaking of it more than need be. Tell me how you entered the land, we have long believed the way was sealed so none but us could find it."

"We nearly did miss the entrance in the cliffs. There was a path down to the desert when we came out of them," Alessa said.

"You said those hills were a bridge?" Kaarn prompted.

"I did," the shaman answered calmly. "They used to form a bridge from the ledge in the cliffs a door halfway up the shrine. The pillars were as thick as the ones you saw near the temple all made of green and white stone. Legends say it shone beautifully in the sun."

"When did it fall?" he asked.

"It didn't, or not precisely," the shaman answered. "At least, we have been taught that it was meant to collapse to seal away this land from casual outsiders—like yourselves."

Riding silently, both Alessa and Kaarn studied at the ridges on either side of them that dotted the plain behind the great temple. The cliffs were more visible now, she could see what looked like excavations and ruins high up in them but when she commented on them to their guide, he only said that they predated the presence of his people in the land. The sun was setting now, and the shaman turned more directly southwest towards a larger blot that resolved into a forest. There were strange pillars and walls joining them placed on hills on either side of the entrance to the forest. Alessa thought they looked like some kind of strange watchtower or fort but the old man professed ignorance as to their purpose.

"You have to understand," he said, "There are many ruins in this land and they were made before my people dwelt here. We build in wood rather than stone, you see."

As they rode on, Ryu remained dead to the world and wrapped in his friends' cloaks. Alessa occasionally shot worried looks at him, but he didn't seem to be getting any worse and she allowed herself to relax a little bit.

When the passed between the watch towers, Alessa saw the abrupt beginnings of a forest nestled between the rocky hills. Just under the eves of the forest however, was a small two-room hut made out of wood with a stone base a meter high. There was a woodpile next to the house, and a small well in front of it. The travelers dismounted, Alessa helping Kaarn carry Ryu while the shaman spoke quietly to Nico. Then when he let the horse go, Nico calmly walked to one of the trees and started idly exploring the area.

"Let me guess, they won't be running away if we let them go, will they?" Kaarn asked.

Their guide shook his head. "There is nothing to threaten them here and there are nearby streams and plenty of grass. Go on inside and let me speak to your other mounts. You may set your friend down on the pallet in the back room."

Alessa and Kaarn did so, carefully placing Ryu and had only just sat down in the main room on some stools when the shaman came in. The shaman calmly removed the mask and tabard and hung them on pegs set into the wall. The small cottage seemed well made with hardly any cracks between the wood and the shutters tightly set into the windows. While Alessa and Kaarn sat quietly, they watched him bustle around the small cottage, brining up the fire and putting a pot of water on as well as breaking out some small wooden cups and pouring them some wine. He handed them the cups and turned back to the small stone counter set against one wall and began to sort through several small bags set on the shelf above the counter.

"Are those the herbs for Ryu?" Alessa asked the shaman.

He nodded, saying, "Yes, hopefully your friend will wake up in time for dinner. I do not often have guests but I have enough for now."

"Do you just pick the fruit in the forest or something?" Kaarn wondered.

"No," he answered as he mixed the herbs. "The villagers bring me food as a way of repaying me for the services I provide them. Presumably It frees one to think great thoughts—which is frequently done best with ones eyes closed." He smiled a tiny smile and Alessa blinked surprised. She hadn't expected the shaman to have a sense of humor.

The shaman went into the other room to deliver the mixture down Ryu's throat. There was a coughing sound from the other room as well as a curse and both travelers grinned at each other before getting up and hurrying to Ryu's side. Their friend was awake again, glaring at Emon with a suspicion that partially ebbed when he saw Alessa and Kaarn.

"What's going on, why are we with this old man?" he demanded.

"Relax Ryu," Kaarn ordered. "Apparently he didn't know he wasn't supposed to kill us."

"We've got purity of spirit!" Alessa put in.

"Purity of spirit? Us!" Ryu gaped.

"I know!" Alessa laughed. "But we didn't come here to hurt the people living here so that's good enough."

"Indeed, as I apologized to your friends, I do so now to you. I am a shaman for my people and charged with their protection. If you can stand, please come into the other room so we can share a meal. It's the least I can do for my transgression."

"What do you two think?" Ryu asked.

"I'm hungry at least," Kaarn replied with a grin. "I don't think there's any threat from an old man, especially with the three of us. He can't summon another one of those things that fast anyhow."

Ryu, his dark bronze skin looking decidedly pale, nodded. Shoving a hand through thick black hair, he looked up at the old man.

"Then I accept your apology and I'd be happy to partake of your hospitality," he replied formally.

The old man simply nodded and went back into the other room leaving the three alone. His friends helped Ryu stand up and only a short while later they were in the main room sitting on small stools and eating a supper mainly of plants. These included fruits, some odd bread and several vegetables that the three of them had never seen before. The meal was surprisingly tasty and coupled with the excellent wine that their host provided them with, Ryu felt much better.

"So…" he began at last while the four of them relaxed in the small cottage, lit only by the dying embers of the fire. "…How did you summon a colossus?"

"I am not sure how much I shall tell you," the shaman replied. "It will suffice to say that when we fled to here, the land fought us and strange and inexplicable calamities beset our people until death was our only refuge. Yet the world outside promised more of the same. In desperation, the shaman climbed Shrine of Worship and made the pact that binds my people to this day.

"If we committed no violence against each other and did not sin against the land, we would be protected and prosper. To that end, a shaman was selected to be separate from the people and given power to summon Colossi. If the summoning was just they would defend us and the land itself would help us survive. We have kept that pact."

"How long ago was that?" Alessa asked.

"We care little for time here," the shaman replied with a smile. "It has been generations I assure you."

"So this place is always peaceful?" Kaarn asked.

"I do not believe any place where men dwell can ever be fully peaceful but such as we are, we do try to keep it that way," the shaman answered.

"Do you know anything about events outside this place?" Ryu wondered.

The old man shook his head. "We hear occasional rumors from outside but they are always of wars and calamity. That is why we never bothered to make a decent road from the ledge."

"Then you don't know," Alessa whispered exchanging a look with Kaarn.

"About what?" the shaman asked.

"About the--" Kaarn began but Alessa placed a hand on his arm.

"It's not something they should trouble with, Kaarn. I wouldn't feel right bringing them into it even that much. Let me just say, shaman, that I don't believe your people are in any danger.

"Our chieftan resides a short way beyond this forest in the south at a town we call Canossa. I do not believe you mean harm, but I do think you should speak with him."

"Then we should," Ryu said firmly. "Would tomorrow be fine?"

"Yes," the shaman replied, visibly relieved. "You have had quite a day, and I think we should get an early start."

"Then we'll sleep out here if you don't mind. I'm feeling better and I wouldn't want to take your room," Ryu said.

"That is very kind of you," the shaman said with a bow.

The three of them got out their own bedrolls and blankets while the shaman entered his own room. Yet even though they lay down, Ryu couldn't sleep and he turned over on his side to find Alessa staring at him, her eyes shining indigo in the low light and a worried look on her delicate features. Frowning, he edged a little closer to her.

"You're worried," he whispered.

"Yes," she replied in a low voice. "Something's wrong. I don't know what but I can feel it."

"Him?"

"I don't _think_ so," she replied. "It's just… this place seems so peaceful at least, on the surface. I'd hate to bring something down on it but I think that's just what we're doing. I couldn't take that, not this soon."

"There won't be an army coming in here chasing after us. We're not that important," he answered. "Don't worry Alessa, you'll have plenty of time to make smart remarks at my expense.

"You killed a Flag General!" the girl persisted.

"I'm one person."

Alessa just stared at him angrily, her mouth in a disapproving line ignoring the tangles of hair that fell around her face. Then she abruptly turned away from him. Ryu's mouth twisted but he let the feeling of irritation go and rested on his back looking up at the ceiling of the cottage. Though he tried, Alessa's worries kept creeping up in his head and sleep was a long time coming. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something they were missing.

In the morning the shaman woke them early saying that he wanted to reach the village of Canossa by noon and they had some ground to cover. The travelers sighed, and even though Ryu felt stiff and sore all over, they were in the saddle quickly. The shaman had been right, the horses had stayed close all night and seemed well rested and even frisky.

"They certainly recovered fast," Kaarn exclaimed in surprise when he mounted up. "Been a while since Wander felt this happy."

Despite being restricted to the walking pace of the shaman, the journey was uneventful and almost preposterously idyllic with birds chirping and the rising sun eventually casting the forest floor into patches of sunlight broken by traceries of leaves. After just over an hour of heading south, they turned west and left the forest riding between some hills and over another rock bridge into a cave.

Once out of the cave, they emerged onto a rocky plateau with a slope falling unevenly to the plain below with a golden glow farther to the southeast that the shaman explained was a desert. He led them southwest carefully down through the stony hillside until they had reached a much flatter plain. In the distance they could see a dark blot and some white smoke rising.

"That is Canossa, the chief village here," he explained. "There are others of course, but they are far smaller, collections of families more than anything else."

As the shaman led them across the plains, the village slowly began to resolve but before that, they noticed a taller structure in the midst of it. It seemed to be made of green-gold stone, and it rose a dozen meters above the plain.

"What is that? The building," Kaarn asked.

"Ah, that is the Save Shrine," the old man replied. "They are actually rather numerous in this land though the one near where you entered has crumbled away. I do not know their original purpose, but we have entered this one and recorded our history on the walls."

"I thought you didn't care about time," Kaarn said.

"The time between, no. But we care about our ancestors and about events," their guide replied. "What good is recording empty years without the deeds that were done in them?"

As they approached Ryu realized that the village of Canossa was rather large. Hundreds of people must have lived down there near the shrine that seemed to be located in the center of town. The houses were mostly wood though bits of stonework showed through as well. The houses weren't haphazardly strewn about either as most of the places Ryu had been. The Save Shrine itself was located on a tall ridge several times the height of a man, above the city. The buildings closed to it seemed to have more stone and tile roofs compared to the thatch of the buildings below it. The lower ones also seemed to be residences with washing hanging out to dry, and small vegetables gardens. From what he could see, they also seemed to be built in a rough half circle, with a thick line extending south to the mountains.

"The upper buildings are places of administration, commerce and industry," the shaman answered when he asked. "Below are the residences. They stretch halfway to the ruins in the mountains."

"You have a lot of ruins in this land, don't you?" he said.

"Yes," the shaman replied. It often seems to me that ruins are the major feature of this place. That is part of the reason why we avoid permanence and concentrate on harmony—look what working with more lasting materials brought the builders of the ruins."

A short while later they rode into the upper section of the village, which surprisingly, was located on a large paved over area. The townspeople they spotted, mostly men in colored robes and tabards or simple bright trousers and shirts and women in long simple dresses with faint pastel designs as on the tabards, stared at them curiously. Some talked among themselves, especially when they saw the weapons the three carried, but there was no panic or moves to confront them. Not with the shaman calmly leading them to the Save Shrine. The shrine itself seemed partially covered in ivy, with some of its stones fallen down giving it a weathered look. There was a large red-brown tent attached to it with small blue flag emblazoned with an odd white diamond design trimmed in green on a pole beside the entrance.

"Wait here," the shaman ordered when they reached the shrine. "I must go inside and speak with him before he meets you." The old man walked forward nodding a casual greeting to a few passersby who looked at the new arrivals curiously but without much fear. Then he entered the large tent attached to the small shrine. The three travelers looked at each suddenly nervous.

"So Alessa, do we tell them why we were passing through?" Ryu asked.

"It might not be best to be entirely forth coming int his case," Alessa said angrily. "I want to protect them! Why worry them when we don't have to?"

"They're not children, Alessa," Ryu snapped. The two of them traded looks for a moment.

"Someone's coming out," Kaarn said with a relieved nod.

A man emerged from tent speaking quietly with the shaman. He was clothed in a rich red shirt and snowy trousers with dark eyes and hair that was tied back by a white cloth. He also wore a tabard much like that of the shaman and with a similar design. He was tall and fairly handsome, perhaps ten years older than the three travelers. After studying them he walked forward with a hand raised in greeting.

"Travelers! The shaman has told me something about you. I am the lord of this land. My name Ico…"


	3. Chapter 3

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 3

"We are pleased to meet you, Lord Ico. My name is Ryu, and my friends are Alessa and Kaarn," Ryu said with a bow that the other two copied. The shaman seemed surprised at this gesture. He hadn't expected them to present a polite front.

"No, no," Ico protested, "We have nothing so exalted as a lord here. I am merely the person my people have chosen to lead us. Come sit down with me and tell me your story."

Despite the gracious tone, Ryu doubted it was a question and the three of them quickly followed the shaman and Ico into the large tent attached to one side of the small shrine as soon as they tied their horses to several hitching posts located in an open area near the tent.

The inside of the tent boasted several cushions and a thick rug on the stone floor with a small brazier burning in one corner. There were several other people, men and women both, in the tent speaking quietly to each other. When Ico returned with the three travelers, they broke off their conversations to stare at them as had most of the other people the Ryu and the others had encountered. One of the women quickly and quietly exchanged words with Ico before she gestured to the others. They looked to Ico who nodded before they left talking quietly once again.

"Please, sit down," Ico said. So far he had reacted warmly to the three travelers, but gave the impression that he could react harshly if they gave cause. "I should tell you that those people were the other leaders in this village. Before I came out, we decided that as senior most I would be the one to question you and render my judgment to them so that all of us could make a final decision."

"That seems fair," Alessa said slowly after exchanging a glance with her friends. The three of them took a seat and arranged several of the cushions to their liking as Ico brought a pitcher of water and a cup from a small table in a corner of the tent then sat in front of them with the pitcher. The shaman stood between them and the door to their left his face impassive.

"It is unusual that we get strangers here, much less three experienced warriors. These things do not inspire confidence in our future in this place. We have worked hard to maintain a proper balance."

"All three of us admire what you built here," Kaarn answered. "It seems very peaceful and to be honest, we could use that." Ico nodded, but still looked troubled.

"I think I must tell you how we arrived in this land. It might give you a better appreciation of who we are and what we have built. As the shaman has doubtless told you, we do not keep a count of years we date from events. That event would be our arrival in this place that we call the Forbidden Land. My people shunned these lands but circumstances forced our hand.

"We lived in and around the forest to the north, but another people came out of the west slaughtering us without mercy. We had fled into the forest, but the newcomers remained committed to our destruction. We were forced to settle in the one place they would not, the Cursed Lands.

"We climbed down the cliffs and camped around the plains surrounding the Shrine of Worship. The Cursed Lands deserved the name, as we suffered almost as much here as we did at the hands of the invaders. Finally, our lord climbed to the top of the Shrine and struck the bargain that remains to this day changing the name of this place to the Forbidden Lands. You can see why we are wary of outsiders."

"Running from invaders," Alessa murmured bleakly.

"The oldest stories and perhaps the most common," Ico agreed. "The shaman says there are things you have worried over telling us—things to do with the outside world. I would ask that you share them with me as I have shared with you our own origins."

"It's nothing—" Ryu began but Alessa shook her head.

"He has to know Ryu. I wouldn't be able to stand it if we brought disaster on these people without their knowing why. Not after what he told us."

"We're not going to bring anything down on anybody!" Ryu protested.

"No," Kaarn said. "Ryu you tell the story or I will. I agree with Alessa. We've gotten run out of places one step ahead of the law because you didn't want us to say anything."

"We'd have gotten run out of them sooner if we had said something!" Ryu argued, turning to face the other man but Alessa spoke before he could continue.

"I was born far to the northeast along the coast, in a country called Genria. That country no longer exists. I don't think any of the nations we were born in still do." Ico's face was calm, but they could see his jaw tighten as Alessa spoke.

"It began 20 years ago. Invaders came from over the sea, landing north of my country and conquering the peoples. No one cared at first. Everyone took advantage of the weakness of their neighbors to expand their own power. Other nations believed the invaders would eventually overextend themselves—but they were wrong. These invaders were from the empire that lies over the sea, enormous, ancient, and expansionist.

"The empire moved slowly at first, consolidating what they conquered before moving on their next target. My family had ruled Genria for generations and my parents tried to form an alliance to resist them but it was too late. They struck before we were ready and shattered our defenses. Then they began advancing on our capital intent on finishing off my entire family."

"Alessa left with us," Kaarn said picking up the tale. "The three of us are trying to find somewhere beyond the empire's reach, but they've been expanding south so fast we usually have a few months or a year at best before having to run again. Sometimes we've fought with one army or another trying to do what we can, but nothing's been able to stop them yet."

"There's one more thing," Ryu said taking a breath. "If you've told him this much I might as well tell the rest."

"What?" the chieftain replied coldly. His posture had changed from polite attention to just short of actively hostile. Ryu sighed.

"Even with all that, we wouldn't be important enough to pursue. Three people? What can we do against their armies? It's my fault. As Genria fell we had to fight our way out. I killed a Flag General, one of their military commanders. He was also a member of their nobility and they take something like that very seriously. They have sent parties south into lands they don't yet control searching for us."

"Their search parties had just about caught us when we stumbled into this land," Alessa said. "That's why we're here now."

"Will this empire come here?" Ico asked worriedly.

"I don't think so," Ryu shook his head. "The last we heard, they had stopped expanding south. It takes months to reach their border. We don't know why they stopped, but the rumor is they're shifting resources farther north. I don't think your people are in any danger."

"I do," Alessa replied. "I think the groups they've sent south might come here looking for us. I'd hate for your people to suffer for our sake."

"We'd like to ask… if we could stay here," Kaarn said. "Not for too long, just long enough to rest and recover without having to worry about being discovered."

Ico sighed. "It seems that deciding what to do with you will end up being more difficult than hospitality would dictate."

"We're prepared to agree with any decision you make," Kaarn replied. "It is your land after all and we'd be wrong to try to force your hand."

"Thank you," Ico said. "But you must understand, I must discuss this with the others who lead the people and of course the shaman." At that Ryu looked around and realized that the shaman had left the tent while they had been speaking with Ico. "If you will please excuse me, I should go confer with them now." After Ico left the tent, Alessa went to the doorway and looked out then turned back to her friends with a frown.

"There are a half dozen men out there. It looks like they're guarding our horses and weapons."

"He tricked us—!" Ryu began.

"I don't think so," Alessa replied as Kaarn had his own look outside. "He's just hedging his bets until the decision gets made. These people rarely see strangers, and in a new situation anything can cause them to over-react. I'd act the same."

"Not much we can do I suppose," Kaarn said. "I mean, all we've got are some knives and it looks like they have staffs. I don't think they'd kill us, at worst they'll just ask us to leave."

"Then we wait?" Ryu said glumly.

"We wait."

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Due to the recent rains, the large group that made its way slowly through the great forest and approaching the cliffs that guarded the Forbidden Lands raised no dust. There were dozens of them, mounted and riding under two flags, the larger one was the World and Sword outlined in white on blue, the smaller one was a Gray Hawk on a field of green. Most of the riders were soldiers, with armor over their white tunics and deep blue trousers equipped with lances and swords though half a dozen were dressed in gray. Behind them followed a squadron of infantry equipped with crossbows and behind them came several supply wagons.

Just behind the head of the column, a woman with red-brown hair tied in a loose bun and bronze skin rode dressed in the same colors as the hawk banner. She carried a horse bow and a large sword with a strangely shaped haft strapped to the back of a thick vest that was the same green as the banner.

"How far until we reach the place that the scouts lost them?" she asked as she scanned the forest with her dark gray eyes.

"According to the scouts, we'll be there in a few days," the man beside her replied. In addition to the standard armor of the soldiers, he wore a dark red scarf around his neck indicating his rank. "Lady," he said after a moment. "How can we know that they are even still here?"

"They're here captain. They're running out of places to run after all," the woman replied quietly with only a glance at the soldier. She was young, very young, just out of her teens but the officer as well as the rest of the soldiers deferred to her as more than just a consequence of her rank.

"Yes, my lady."

"Hejeria I know you were uncomfortable leaving move half your command on the other side of the mountains. I'm sorry for that. If we had the resources for that we would, but I could barely support what we did bring this far from home."

"Lady, was that the bargain you worked out that put you in charge of recovering the fugitives?" Hejeria asked raking his fingers though his dark brown hair.

"Yes," the young woman replied bitterly. "I'd cover the expenses."

"I hope that they really are there," he continued. "We've come a very long way from home."

"Don't worry captain, if they found a way into those cliffs, then so can we," the woman responded. "We've chased them this far, we're not about to give up."

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Time crawled while the travelers waited for Ico to put their case to the other leaders of the village. Fortunately, it turned out that the men guarding their possessions had been instructed by the shaman to allow them to wander around the relatively open area around the save shrine and answer any questions they had regarding Canossa village and the rest of the land as best they could.

It turned out that this was not the only village around as the Shaman had said, however it was by far the largest. There was a settlement in and around the ruins of a coliseum to the east, and another small settlement near a lake in the western plains to the north of the village of Canossa across the ravine. They learned there was also some discussion of expanding into a fourth village south of the desert against the cliffs along the coast.

There were only a few streams in the land, most of the water was found in pools and oasis usually demarcated by fruit trees. As a result, the villages had irrigated certain fields for some crops and planted groves of trees along with hunting the large number of birds (mostly pigeons, doves and hawks) that filled the land. There were also some mining excavations in some of the cliffs particularly those along the southern and western coasts producing a surprising amount of iron.

In the early afternoon, the travelers were sitting in the tent again when a woman entered bearing a tray that was piled with fruits and green leafy vegetables as well as what turned out to be several roasted pigeons. She was a few years older than they, clothed in a simple white dress with faint colorful patches in a design different yet clearly inspired by the image on the shaman's tabard which seemed to be some sort of significant symbol judging by its placement.

"Hello," the woman said brightly, smiling and brushing her shoulder length black hair back with one pale gold hand. "My husband Ico, said he thought you'd be hungry by now so I put something together. It's not much but everyone is all set up about your arrival. Ico and the others are still talking." Her voice was surprisingly warm and it put the three of them at ease quickly. The most interesting thing about her was her eyes, almond shaped and startlingly blue.

"Thank you," Ryu replied making a quick bow and introducing himself and his friends, "I'm pleased to meet you…?"

"Akami," the young woman replied sitting down and settling back on her heels. "Once Ico told me we had visitors from outside, I couldn't wait to meet you. I'm from outside myself, you see."

"You are but…?"

"It's a strange story," she said blushing faintly. "When I was a child, I was found in a boat, washed up on the shore of a beach to the west. I can't remember anything before waking up on the beach, but look at my eyes, my skin, I'm not from anywhere near here. But talking about my story is dull… tell me about yourselves! Ico said you've traveled a great deal!"

"Well, we've gone through about a dozen countries by now," Kaarn laughed. "They blend together sometimes and we've been under pressure but there are a few stories we could tell. Most of them involve us getting in trouble."

"Please continue!" she urged with a laugh.

"I suppose we could star with—" Ryu began but was interrupted by a commotion at the entrance to the tent. Ico strode in looking tired but smiling, and the travelers breathed a little easier when they saw it. When he saw Akami, he went over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him before turning back to look at the travelers.

"That took much longer than I expected," Ico told them. "It appears that actually managing to slay a colossus scared a lot of the others badly."

"I have to admit," Ryu replied dryly, "that thought did not cross my mind while I was actually climbing on it."

"So we can stay then?" Kaarn asked.

"For the time being it seems that you're being allowed to stay. However, we would prefer you leave sooner rather than later. This is not my personal feeling, the shaman feels that you don't mean us harm and that is enough for me, but…" he shrugged. "There is only so much I can do. As I said, I am not a lord."

"I suppose that's all we can ask for," Ryu said with a shrug.

"Even a few days will do us good," Kaarn agree. "One question though, where are we staying while we're here anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure—"

"I'd like if they stayed with us," Akami interrupted. Ico seemed surprised as he glanced down at her. "The shaman doesn't believe they intend any harm and I'd like to talk with them some more. They've seen so many places! I'd love to hear more about them. Ico… you know our home is large enough to accommodate them."

"It's true that our home was built to house a larger family," Ico admitted.

"It might ease the minds of the others to know we kept them close at hand if they were as nervous about them as you said. I'm sure nothing would happen and it would help your reputation with the others. You know they worry about you being so young. I hope you don't mind staying with us," Akami added to the travelers.

"Not at all," Kaarn answered.

"Then it's all settled," Akami said firmly, rising.

"I suppose it is," Ico laughed. "Let me formally offer you a place to stay then." He gave them a little bow.

"Then let me formerly accept," Alessa grinned.

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"Lady Deis, we've been all over this section of the cliff," Captain Hejeria complained to the woman with the red-brown hair. The sun had lightened it some so that in the sun she almost appeared to have blonde highlights in certain light.

"Then we'll move on to another section further west," Deis responded. She barely even looked at him as she said it, her eyes intent on where several of her soldiers were pacing the cliffs carefully. They had been at it for several days, starting at the point where the mountains met the sea, and moving slowly west until. "We're close, I can sense it. I'm not about to let them get away."

"My lady, it wouldn't be prudent to let personal—"

"Captain Hejeria!" she snapped. Though young, her voice was fairly deep for a woman and combined with the sharpness of her exclamation, brought him up short. "I find the insinuation that I'm going into this bearing a grudge insulting to say the least."

"My apologies my lady, but…" he said uncomfortably.

"Yes I know," she replied softening. "But we know they were here. Even if they have moved on we need to pick up their trail again. If we just keep going west, we'll run into places that are decidedly unfriendly. We need to find them here or we might as well give up."

"They know the same thing," Hejeria replied. "I just wonder if they took advantage of it and headed west as fast as they could."

"They stayed," Deis replied. "They probably think they've given us the slip. If they got to the other side of those cliffs into the place we saw from the mountains, then they'll have stayed to explore."

"I still have my reservations, Lady Deis."

"Your caution does you credit captain," she replied soothingly. "But don't worry... I know my sister."


	4. Chapter 4

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 4

As Ico had agreed, the travelers took up residence in the larger house accorded to the governor of village located not far from the save shrine. Akami had explained that the two-tiered house had been built many years before and that it changed hands whenever a new leader was selected. The house itself had a first level made almost entirely of stone blocks that were the same shade and composition as that of the cliffs the town was built on. The second floor of the house was made of wood as so many other houses in the village were, but stone pillars that ran through both floors helped support the structure. All told, it was a sturdy, relatively spacious dwelling.

During the time they had spent with Ico and his wife, Alessa had grown to enjoy her company. Akami had turned out to be a warm, intelligent woman, willing to talk and listen and Alessa had been around Kaarn and Ryu so long that they often felt more like her brothers than her friends and she relished a little time alone, especially if they were going to be leaving again after a short while. They had spoken about many things, but one of the subjects Alessa kept returning to was the land itself, and the civilization that proceeded Ico's people in the land. It was frustrating that the only one who seemed truly interested was Akami–the only other person not born in the land.

When Akami suggested that she and Alessa take an expedition to one of the oldest of all the sites in the Forbidden Land, she had jumped at the chance. That was how Alessa found herself nearly melting under a nearly cloudless sky, rain clouds crowding to the far north beyond the cliffs that bordered the region. She was glad she had taken Akami's advice and worn a white shirt instead of her usual leather armor. Both women were riding on Alessa's horse, Argo, and Akami was doing well despite her inexperience in regards to riding, especially of a horse who was battle-hardened.

Akami tapped her on the shoulder and pointed, making Alessa look up over the dunes as a structure loomed in the shimmering haze. The dominant feature was a curtain wall that rose half the height of the canyon. It was the same color as the rest of the rocks, and coated with sand. Two huge towers with flat tops rose up behind the main wall along with a tall stone arch. Behind that were a half dozen truly enormous pillars of stone that rose above the cliffs and would block the morning sun. There was a small stone hill that stood like a sentry to the west of the fortress that served as a terminus for the causeway that led to the entrance in the wall.

"I can't believe there's a castle way out here," Alessa said wonderingly.

"Ico calls it the desert fortress, but no one's been out here in as long as we can remember. There was a basic survey generations ago but since then we've been so busy just in the habitable parts that we don't know what's changed in the places we don't live," Akami explained.

"Why are you the only one who interested in the ruins around this place?" Alessa asked.

Akami shrugged. "It's not their fault, they're so busy just making a living."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to impose on you."

"Oh not at all!" Akami said with a smile. "You tell the most fascinating stories about the lands to the north! I can't believe all the things that exist out there. I'm glad that someone else wants to learn about the past as much as I do."

"Its… different out there all right," Alessa replied. "At least, in the cities it is. Out in the country, most people live like they have for centuries. Even in the cities it's only the elites that can afford to live differently. I like the quiet here, even if you work hard."

"I'm glad you don't think it's easy," Akami replied with a laugh.

They rode into the huge desert fortress and found several huge columns had broken off from the ones lining the entry hall that partially blocked the path. Luckily, part of one had broken apart and Alessa was able to lead Argo over it. Then they crossed into the place that housed what Alessa assumed to be the keep, a huge squared off building of stone set in the center of a larger courtyard than the entry hall. Under arches of stone that indicated doorways was only smooth stone blocks, perhaps a little darker than the stone the keep was built, or perhaps it was just the shadows.

"There's no way inside," Akami said. "Our ancestors tried everything they could think of."

Moving on from the sealed keep, Alessa led Argo up a long flight of stairs and up a difficult climb that he barely negotiated until the two women were standing before the enormous pillars. Up close they were even more stupendous than they seemed from the desert. They were smooth for most of their length, but near the base there was some carving, though nothing Alessa recognized. Moving on she gaped at the huge arena beyond them, giant stairs and arches looking carved out of the cliffs with a huge ravine at the far end.

"That's a good place," Akami said pointing to a grassy hill in the center of the arena. It looked to be weathered and had been there for a long time and the girls wasted little time setting up a small camp site where Argo cropped at the lush grass on the hill, so different from the patchy, short grass on an arena floor that was mostly dirt and stone.

"Was this always a desert?" Alessa asked as they sat around the small campfire they started.

"It's always been shown that way on our maps."

"But the causeway has huge arches. Why would they build arches into a bridge instead of just making it solid stone if there wasn't water? And the dried up lake we passed this morning. It's huge! We saw ruins down there and if the lake was filled and a stream ran to this place, it means the desert fortress is older than anything they built in that pit and that looked pretty old."

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Akami asked.

"From what I've seen of the carving so far, it reminds me a little of what you'll find northwest of Genria but size wise... only the empire builds like this and I_ know_ they've certainly never been here before. This place is so big we'll have some hard work to do to take get a good look at all of it before we have to go."

"Speaking of working hard," Akami began, "We can spend the rest of the night and part of tomorrow looking around but I want to get back to the oasis by tomorrow night. I can't be away too long with all the work to do regarding the new settlement."

"Right," Alessa nodded. "We don't want to have to travel at night."

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"How's it feel to be expendable, don't you just love it?" Kaarn grinned to Ryu the day after they crossed what Ico named the Desert of Phalanx.

As guests they hadn't been asked to help with day to day work but the travelers felt it incumbent upon them to assist Ico and his people as they could. This largely meant being given tasks that weren't urgently required to sustain the population and considered dangerous but were useful enough that Ico and the other leaders of the village had decided to use the travelers to do them. This particular task had been to actually explore the mountains along the southwestern coast of the land. While Ryu had been surprised this hadn't been done before, Ico responded by explaining that the cliffs along the coast were treacherous and that there had never been a need beyond the initial surveys until now. The two men had thoughtfully been provided with copies of the old maps but their accuracy was dubious at best.

"Crossing the desert's a great perk," Ryu replied rolling his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, it's a relief not to have to be looking out for whatever imperial bloodhounds are chasing us, but what the hell do we know about what it takes to make a good village site?"

"It's not like this is the first time we've done surveying and my telescope did survive the battle with the colossus. We might as well get some use of it," Kaarn responded with an eloquent shrug, his eyes scanning the terrain ahead.

"I can't believe you forgot it when we were on that ledge on the cliffs," Ryu said with a laugh. "We still would have explored but it would have been nice when we were high up."

"Oh shut up," Kaarn grumbled. "You and Alessa forgot I had it to."

"Why did she just up and go like that anyway?" Ryu asked.

"She said something about the oldest ruins she could find," Kaarn replied. "You know how she about ancient cultures."

"Looking for the ultimate weapon?" Ryu said shaking his head.

"She's never given up."

The path they were traversing was itself fairly wide and stable, with grass growing abundantly, not at all like the harrowing climb down from the ledge to enter the land. Having started the morning before from the village, they managed to reach the tip of the southern coast by that afternoon and were surprised to find a familiar structure.

"Hey, that's a Save Shrine isn't it?" Ryu asked.

"Sure looks like it," Kaarn replied.

Spurring towards, it, they pulled up near the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The Shrine itself was intact, but where the Canossa shrine was hollow, this one had a stone plate covered in what looked like ornamental script. Ryu pulled out paper and charcoal and began to sketch the characters on the shrine rapidly.

"Check on the map. Make sure we're in the right place," Ryu ordered.

Kaarn reached into the belt pouch at his side and pulled out a folded square of vellum studying it carefully. It was a map of as much of the Forbidden Lands as Ico and his people knew, which meant it had some large gaps, demarcated by cloudy spaces particularly in the northeast and northwest corners. There were also some curious symbols on the map in several places, 15 in all. To him they looked like heads with the two colored green dots on each symbol looking suspiciously like eyes.

"Map grid D7," Kaarn replied. "Yeah this is where we were assigned. But we still need to climb those cliffs to the northwest, behind Canossa. That's what Ico wanted after we'd surveyed this part. We'll have to go back a ways and look for a way to cross that ravine. Any ideas on how we're going to get up there when we get there?"

"You mean besides carefully? No."

"Though so," Kaarn sighed.

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"Lady Deis! My lady we've found it!" one of the soldiers called excitedly.

Deis who was traveling with the advance scouts today, breathed a sigh of relief as she scrambled off her horse and jogged over to where the man was gesturing. Several days of rain had darkened her mood considerably. Some of the lancers backed away to allow her to take a closer look but Deis was still mystified for a moment.

"I don't see anything," she began.

"Lady Deis, look here," one of the others said pulling at what looked like another stretch of vine-covered cliff. Instead of the rock wall she expected, a passage was revealed in the brown rock. It led deep into the cliffs, trailing off into a lighted exit far down the path with the top open to the sky. "Look at the boulders near it," the soldier continued. "They must have collapsed."

"I see now," Deis murmured. "The stones partially blocked the entrance and the forest grew in over them creating a natural cover. Captain!" Hejeria quickly walked over to where Deis was examining the path, his face showing surprise at the hidden entrance.

"My Lady, allow me to lead a reconnaissance force through the path…"

"Go ahead, but don't go to far," Deis allowed.

While Hejeria chose a handful of soldiers to accompany him, she drew the sword strapped to her back and regarded it sadly. It was a long straight blade, with a strange hilt, with only one side of the guard worked in a long curve to protect the hand holding it which mean it was designed to be wielded one handed. The smaller Deis however, was able to use it with both hands if she desired and she did that, holding it up so that the weak afternoon sunlight shinning through the tattered gray clouds faintly traced the etchings on the sword, runes of an ancient mode that no one could read.

"You rejected this when you rejected us," Deis whispered. "You'll pay for that, oh how you'll pay."

Taking a breath, Deis sheathed the sword across her back and turned to some of the remaining soldiers instructing them to set up a more permanent camp outside the fallen boulders while sending several more back to her main forces to guard and guide them to the entrance. Unlike many other nobles, she had no qualms about doing the manual labor along with her men. Rather than breaking down the discipline, it helped generate loyalty and that was a trait she knew was worth its weight in gold during a battle. She had already helped set up the beginnings of the camp when Hejeria and two of the soldiers he had picked returned.

"Lady Deis," he said sketching a quick bow. Excitement always made him more formal than usual. "You were right, there's a way beyond the cliffs, and some evidence that a group on horseback passed through here less than a week ago!"

"Finally!" Deis smiled a predatory smile.

"There is one problem," Hejeria continued. "The path from the cliffs to the land below is extremely treacherous. I went down a little way and checked it out. If we bring everyone through there I'm not sure how many we'd lose to falls or broken bones. Also… if someone's waiting for us we'll make ourselves prime targets."

"Damn," Deis replied. "Take me there and let me see for myself before we decide how to proceed."

Hejeria led Deis through the tunnel and onto the ledge that overlooked the incredible vista of the Forbidden Lands. As the Ryu and the others had, as Hejeria himself had, Deis stopped, stunned by the incredible sight of the Shrine of Worship. Unlike Kaarn however, she remembered her telescope and used it to carefully examine the Shrine. After a few minutes, she scanned the terrain below the ledge and the path below.

"My lady…"

"How many of the lancers can we count on to fight off their mounts?"

"They're all supposed to, but I'd trust no more than a dozen," Hejeria replied. "Cavalry don't do very well afoot."

"They're not much good in the forest either," Deis growled. "If I'd known about the forest and this cliff, I would have brought more infantry. The land beyond looks like its ideal for riding, rolling hills mostly. If we can get down there… How many archers do we have?"

"Over a squad's worth."

"Then assign one squadron to the camp outside this exit. Send some scouts east along the cliff wall to make sure there are no other paths, I don't want them escaping. Leave a few more to guard the camp along with the crossbowmen. We'll take the rest and the extra crossbowmen down into the land. If we're careful and go slowly we should be able to avoid too many accidents."

"We'll station a few spotters up on the ledge until we're down then. Just in case of an ambush," Hejeria said.

"Excellent, start in the morhing. Let's not waste anymore time."

Despite what Deis wished, however, it took an eternity and a half to get as many soldiers as she dared down into the desert floor. It also involved setting them up in teams and praying very hard that none of the horses would slip. As it was, several of them did lose their footing, but received no more than some light scrapes that were quickly tended lest they get infected with all the sand flying about.

Despite the earlier start, it was late afternoon and shading towards evening by the time they finally managed to re-group at the base of the cliffs. Deis had managed to bring 20 lancers, a hand full of crossbowmen and her personal guard down through the cliffs. The rest were blocking the exit and making sure there were no other egress points. They started south and slightly west heading for the same oasis that Ryu and the others had sheltered at their first night in the Forbidden Lands. Like Ryu, Deis wondered at the strange hills so different from the cliffs and the sand, a pale green and white with grass that was stunningly out of place in the northern desert.

They reached the oasis shortly after the sun set, and Deis at least, was grateful for the chance to stop and rest. She had never felt so dry and dusty. She knew that she had grit buried deep in her clothing, and forced herself to clean her mouth out with water from oasis before she had a drink. Sighing, she motioned Hejeria over and told him to send out some scouts to the line of the hills. They were far too close for her comfort.

An hour perhaps, passed when there was a commotion and a member of her personal guard came thundering up to the campsite, his horse heaving huge bellows of air. He tumbled out of his saddle and stumbled towards her, fall to one knee.

"Lady Deis! My lady! We've spotted two people on a horse to the east. One has bright red hair!"

Deis froze, barely breathing. Springing into action, Deis sprinted to her mount and gripping the saddle tightly, vaulted astride her horse taking a moment to set herself and check her sword and bow while Hejeria began shouting orders.

"Have they seen the scouts?" she demanded of the man.

He shook his head. "I think they're heading for the oasis. They'll see us as soon as they get over the hills but for now we're safe."

"Hejeria," Deis began turning.

"I know," he replied with a brusque nod. "I'll station several soldiers for an ambush as soon as they're past them. We can pin them against those hills."

"Good, now let's move. We've got them now."

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Alessa and Akami had spent so much time examining the ruins that they had been forced to travel at night to get to the oasis in time. While the day was scorching hot in the desert, at night Alessa was glad of her cloak after the sun set. Akami had also brought a thick cloak for herself and both young women huddled in them as they carefully crossed the line of hills that ran through the Forbidden Land. They moved slowly and carefully to avoid Argo breaking a leg in the dark though Akami said and Alessa remembered that the hills were worn fairly smooth with solid footing.

Perhaps it was due to being tired, or perhaps the night or perhaps their luck just wasn't it, because the first Alessa knew they were not alone was when a crossbow bolt embedded itself into the sand a meter ahead of Argo. Surprised, her horse shied a bit, and Akami fought to keep him under control as Alessa looked wildly around for the source of the arrow. The only crossbow she had seen in these lands was the one that Kaarn had and he would never have done that. When Akami had Argo calmed down, she managed to pull of her weapon from the saddle, a wicked double-glaive that was light enough to wield like a quarterstaff.

"Hold!" a voice snapped out of the deeper shadows under the hill behind them. A couple of men came out of the shadows, swords strapped to their sides and arrows loosely knocked on their bows, both of them focussed on Alessa.

"Who are you?" she snapped.

"That's not your business," one of them answered. "Come with us and there won't be any trouble."

"Don't think that's going to work,"Alessa growled.

"Then we'll have to make trouble and take you with us anyway," the speaker continued, drawing his bow to full extension.

Whatever he planned, shoot or just threaten, he never go the chance. Akami planted an arrow in his arm, a miracle shot even from less than half a dozen meters away in the dark. He jerked with a scream and his shot went wild. His companion after one shocked glance at Akami, tried to loose his own arrow but Alessa had closed the gap between them in seconds swinging her weapon around and knocking the bow from his hands. He went for his sword but she slashed his leg and he went down on his back rolling away from her.

"Run!" she shouted back over her shoulder as she stabbed at the man. Her dual glaive stuck in the sand just next to his shoulder and she struggled to yank it out. Behind her, she heard the sound of clattering hooves but couldn't pay attention as a third man rushed out to join the others, two-handed sword drawn. Instead of trying to block the clumsy and over-enthusiastic downward slash, Alessa sidestepped and brought the blunt edge of the glaive down in an arc that connected hard with his shoulders and forced to the ground. The next move should have been a killing stab or slash across the neck or shoulders but Alessa turned to run, hoping that she could still reach Akami.

"Enough of this!" a voice snarled. Alessa's head whipped around to see a woman bringing a sword down almost on top of her. Taking a deep breath she hurled herself sideways, barely missing the blade and scrambled to her feet as the other didn't even miss a step bringing up her blade in a backhand slash that Alessa had to back-peddle furiously to avoid.

Alessa finally managed to bring her own weapon back into play with an upper-cut slash that the other parried and tossed back, only to barely block the natural counter of a down slash from the blade on the other end of Alessa's staff. The next thing she knew, she was down on her back at a sweeping kick from the other woman. Hurling herself into a backwards roll, she managed to regain her feet in time to avoid another slash and moved in exchanging several blows with her that ended in her weapon being wrenched from her hand. Before she could react, the smaller woman lashed out with a kick that knocked the wind out of her and forced her onto her back again. This time, she had to freeze because the point of the blade was resting on her throat. It was only then that she got a good look at her opponent. The red-brown hair, the dark olive skin…

"Damn you Alessa," Deis snarled, "Give up!"

"Not to you!" Alessa managed to gasp out.

"Traitor!" both woman said at once.

"Lady Deis, we've got the other one," a man said. It was only then Alessa became aware of the soldiers surrounding her, at least a handful. She had given all her attention to Deis, who for her part kept her eyes locked on Alessa.

"Well?" Deis said, sword point pushing against her throat just a little bit harder and Alessa couldn't help but contemplate the irony of it. It was only when Akami came into her line of sight that Alessa went limp.

"You win, Deis."

Deis let up her sword and watched as Alessa slowly got to her feet putting a hand over her middle where Deis had kicked her. The leather vest she had on under her shirt might as well have been paper for all it absorbed Deis's kick, she felt like someone had hit her with a hammer. For her part Deis sheathed her blade in the scabbard strapped to her back and folded her arms under her breasts looking at Alessa. Her hair was a mess, having escaped from its knots and hanging in tangles down her shoulders.

"Akami, are you all right?" Alessa asked. Akami nodded but seemed to stunned to say anything.

"Look at you," Deis snapped. "You didn't stop to think even for a minute did you? How did you not recognize me, even at night!"

"You looked like just another imperial dog--" Alessa began. Began but didn't finish as Deis backhanded her across the face. Hard. Alessa staggered to her right but growled and lunged at Deis, her fist making a very satisfying contact with the other woman's mouth and making Deis go down. She leaped on Deis, wrapping her hands around the other woman's throat and for a second it was all confusion as the rolled around on the ground, trying to choke each other. Hands pulled her off Deis and she found herself in the iron grip of two soldiers.

"You don't know anything about that," Deis said, pushing herself to a sitting position and wiping a hand across her mouth leaving a smear of blood and sand where Alessa's punch had connected.

"Lady Deis," another man said warningly. He evidently had some rank from the way the other soldiers deferred to him. For a moment Deis just looked at him bewildered then shook her head.

"Of course Hejeria," she nodded. "Bring them with us back to the camp. I look forward to catching up with my sister later."

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She and Akami had been allowed to wrap themselves in the blankets they had brought against the cold desert night. They had been allowed water and a little food and were fairly comfortable, or at least Akami was. Deis had ordered Alessa's ankles and wrists tied together as soon as she finished eating. Akami apparently, was taken on trust.

"You know her, who are they?" Akami asked Alessa during the night.

Alessa sighed. "Yes, they're the ones we thought we'd lost. They've been chasing us, or rather, chasing Ryu for a long time."

"But you _know_ her. The woman I mean." Alessa hoped Akami would let it drop but the woman just looked at her expectantly.

"Deis is my sister," Alessa said finally. "I didn't know she'd be the one coming after us, I thought it would be some random official. I don't know why they sent Deis. I haven't seen her in a long time. I wasn't even sure she was alive."

"We need to tell my husband," Akami had said worriedly.

"Why?" Alessa wondered. "Deis and I might have our problems but she wouldn't hurt your people unless she had to. She's after us not you."

"You don't understand," Akami persisted. "The shaman is the one who deals with external threats. He will have felt them enter the land and investigate. That's why he was the one who met you and your friends."

"Will he summon a colossus?"

"Maybe," Akami didn't sound anything near certain.

"I wouldn't want to face one of those again, especially like this," Alessa said jerking her bound hands. "I don't think we can do anything, not now," she continued. "I'll talk to Deis in the morning and try to warn her."

"She doesn't seem to like you very much."

"I don't like her much either," Alessa sighed again. "But she'll talk. I imagine we're going to have a lot of things to say to each other."

Alessa laid down, signaling that she didn't feel like talking anymore and Akami took the cue going silent. There wasn't much more to say after all. The night seemed to get colder as she struggled in and out of a sludgy doze that gained her little rest and a pounding headache by the time dawn signaled the beginning of another warm day in the desert.

Not long after the sun was up, Deis got the small column moving farther south to where they had spotted greener lands but not until after they had filled water bottles and anything else they could find to carry water from the oasis. She sent out lightly armed, fast moving scouts a ways ahead of them, while keeping the lancers spread out in three groups, one to guard the prisoners. Alessa had to admit that her little sister knew her stuff. Just before midday Deis dropped back to ride next to Alessa while Akami was placed under Hejeria's watchful eye.

"Didn't try to run away I see," she said by way of greeting. "I'm glad you feel loyalty to _someone_."

"Coming from you, that means absolutely nothing to me," Alessa responded, her voice low.

"I told myself I'm not going to trade insults with you," Deis replied pleasantly. "So instead, tell me where Ryu is."

"Don't _think_ so, imperial bitch."

Deis audibly ground her teeth. "Then how about this place. I've been getting a weird feeling about it ever since I saw it... Like it's--"

"--waiting for something," Alessa finished with a sigh.

"Yes," Deis replied with a quick glance at her sister. "This whole place is on edge somehow, and we're coming closer to it."

"Deis," Alessa began taking a breath. "You should turn back. Let Akami go, she's got nothing to do with this. Take me and leave. I'll go with you, I promise, just go now."

"Why... should I do that?" Deis said, gray eyes widening. "That's not like you at all. You're not altruistic."

"Maybe I've changed," Alessa said, but Deis only laughed. "Fine, caught. Whatever. You're right it's self-preservation. If you keep going south, there'll be trouble."

"Whatever it is, we can handle it."

"Deis--"

"No," the young woman said firmly. "I'm not the tag-along little sister you knew. We can handle it."

"I don't mean a battle," Alessa insisted. "Or not just battle."

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the back of the lancers that were guarding Alessa. A rider reined to a halt when he saw Deis, kicking up a shower of sand and pebbles that set both sisters and rider to coughing for a moment. Alessa felt a tingling feeling of fear in her stomach as she saw him, the rider was dressed in the blue and white of an imperial but his clothing was torn, his armor cracked and he was covered in dust and blood. The soldier was panting and Deis quickly handed him a canteen.

"Lady Deis!" the soldier gasped.

"Calm down, steady," Deis said, placing her hand on the man's arm. "I need you to give me something I can use so wait a bit." He took a few more breaths and visibly did as she said. Once again Alessa was impressed by her little sister. "Now," she began. "What is it?"

"The scouts came back with word last night. I don't know how they slipped by us, but a large party of armed men is descending on the entrance. They should be making their way to the plain by moonrise."

"Large? How? As large as our own?"

"Larger, my lady," the solider replied. "We don't know the numbers, maybe twice the size."

Deis whistled. "An entire company! Who are they?"

"No idea, Lady," the man replied. "They shot at our scouts the moment they saw us. They didn't even waste any time identifying us, they just attacked." Here he took another deep breath. "File Officer Kawano is dead."

Deis gasped. "Dammit, what the hell is going on! Hejeria!" she shouted turning away then raising her voice, screamed, "Column HALT!" Turning back to the soldier she said, "I need to send you back with instructions..."

"My lady, before she died, Officer Kawano ordered all the lancers down into the plain and the crossbowmen to hide in the forest with most of the supplies. I was sent after you right away."

"She was a good officer," Deis said gravely. "The lancers won't be any good in the woods, and if they can get down that damned path in one piece they'll be useful here. The archers are more useful in concealment and with supplies they should be okay for a while."

"I heard the last of that," Hejeria said riding up, "I suggest we look from some place that's at least defensible."

"Bring that local woman, Akami here, maybe she can tell us a place we can hole up. I don't want to have to ride all the way to that mountain," she said with a nod at the Shrine.

Unfortunately it turned out that the closest shelter _was_ the Shrine of Worship unless they wanted to take their chances in the canyons to the northwest. Those were almost as far as the Shrine and there were so many twisting paths there that it was risky for the horses Akami claimed. Deis decided she had to try to reach the Shrine but left Hejeria behind with a handful of soldiers to link up with what remained of the party they had left beyond the cliffs. To Alessa's shock, Deis drew her sword and slashed the ropes that tied her hands.

"Don't try to run away. You'll slow us down and I'm not letting anyone else kill you before I take a few more pieces out of your hide," Deis snapped in response to her sister's startled look.

"I'm not going to run away," Alessa said quietly.

"I wish you'd sounded like that 7 years ago," the other woman snapped as she rode to the front of the column. As the group began to move southwards, leaving Hejeria and a few others behind, Alessa sighed.

It looked like trouble had caught up with them again.


	5. Chapter 5

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 5

Kaarn gave a shout as he opened his eyes. Blinking in the dawn sunlight, he realized that he and Ryu were still on the cliffs near the southern coast of the Forbidden Lands. After surveying and updating the landmarks in the region, they tried to find a way up the cliffs to the west, achieving nothing more than scrapes and bruises. Ryu looked at him in surprise from where he was carefully boiling some water over a fire.

"What was that about?"

"I don't know," he said at last. "Bad feeling… I wish we knew how Alessa was doing."

"We'll see her tomorrow I'm sure," Ryu replied with a shrug. "Enjoy the quiet, because you know it won't last."

Kaarn didn't say anything but rubbed his temples before getting up and helping Ryu take down the campsite. They had spent the last two days looking for a path beyond the cliffs as per their assignment but had no luck. Beyond the wall, there was a large plateau only a little taller than where they were now, but it might as well have been on the other side of the world for all they could reach them. After they had packed, they mounted up and started on the long road back to Ico's house.

They expected the ride back to be largely uneventful, but as they began skirting the desert by hugging the western cliffs, they came across a couple of men with small packs on their backs, looking to be outfitted for a journey. Exchanging looks, Kaarn and Ryu galloped to meet them, both feeling decidedly uneasy as the sun began to set.

"What's going on?" Ryu shouted.

"Governor Ico sent us to find you and bring you back to the village," one of the men shouted. "It's urgent that you come with us! We've gotten a report that a large party of men has come into the land."

"A large group…?" Ryu began. "Here, climb up behind me!" he said to one of the men extending a hand the man gladly took. Kaarn did the same and both riders raced back to the village despite the evening shadows. Kaarn and Ryu reached Canossa in the middle of the night and let off their passengers before going up to Ico's house. Tying their horses up outside, Kaarn and Ryu entered calling Ico's name. The governor of Canossa appeared almost immediately, fully dressed though not in any gear that they had ever seen him in before. It was made of thickly woven cloth with leather and chain mail sections – armor.

"Whats happening?" Ryu asked.

"Trouble," Ico replied. "Some sort of group showed up."

"Is Alessa back yet?" Kaarn asked looking around. "She should be here."

"I don't know," Ico said, worriedly. "Akami was with her, but they should be fine. I'd like to imagine I would know if Akami was hurt. Go outside, I'll join you shortly."

With that they had to be content as neither knew exactly where Alessa and Ico's wife were. Ryu and Kaarn ran back outside to get saddled up again. A few minutes later Ico did appear bearing a bow and a plain sword with no hilt to speak of, and what looked like a very faint inscription along the blade. The sword itself seemed to shine a little bit in the darkness, but that could have been Ryu's imagination.

"The men I've asked to help will meet us in the woods near the shaman's house," Ico  
told them. "I wanted to wait for the two of you before I left but I couldn't afford to wait much longer when you showed up. Let's go."

At night the Forbidden Lands were chilly, though not as cold as the desert regions. Ryu and Kaarn were very tired after having pushed most of the night to reach Canossa as quickly as possible but Ico seemed tireless as he led them north.

"How did the shaman get a hold of you?" Kaarn asked around a yawn.

"Birds," Ico replied. Seeing their puzzled expressions, he explained. "You've noticed the shaman has an affinity for animals haven't you? The doves in this land can be induced to let us tie messages to them. I got one yesterday telling me of his concerns."

"Do we know the size of this party?" Ryu wanted to know.

"He didn't say, I hope he knows more when we reach his place."

"What about the other villages?"

"You mean Kumori and Basran? I'm the governor of Canossa, and that means I have the first responsibility to protect the people of this land. If we need to the shaman can alert the others. There are doves that are keyed to the governors of the villages and Akami."

"Is that why you're not as worried about her?" Kaarn asked.

"Yes," Ico replied. "If she's all right, the dove will give her the message."

"You people really use your resources don't you?" Ryu wondered.

During their initial trip to Canossa, it took most of the morning to reach it. Now they were in a hurry and Ico was much younger than the shaman, allowing them to move more quickly though not as fast as Ryu and Kaarn could have managed alone. The sun was peaking over the eastern horizon when they reached the shaman's house. Outside they saw a score of men dressed similarly to Ico bearing swords with blades didn't reflect the light as his. The shaman was with them, speaking quietly. He looked up when the three men approached and quickly made his way toward them.

"Ico, the dove I sent Akami returned. I fear something may have happened to her."

"Of all the things to happen now," he muttered. Looking worried he turned to Ryu and Kaarn. "I think your friend and my wife are in trouble but we can't be sure it's from these new outlanders…"

"But it probably is," Ryu finished.

"You think it's the empire?" Kaarn asked him.

"That's what I would figure and that means it's our fault. Ico, your people have been incredibly gracious to us. We're not going to abandon you to save ourselves, I can promise you that." Ico nodded gratefully.

"I'm about to fall over," Kaarn yawned. "I need to get a some sleep or two, or I'm not going to be any good to you."

"We'll go on ahead, you can catch up to us later."

"Ico," Ryu cautioned. "Don't do anything until we get there. We might still be able to prevent this from turning into a fight."

"If my wife is in their hands, I'm not about to do anything to risk her safety any more than it already is," Ico responded dryly. He seemed sincere, but Ryu only hoped he would able to keep his word.

--------------------------------------------------

Sensibly risking concealment, as the open desert was not a good place to hide in, Deis and her soldiers along with Alessa and Akami galloped as hard they could for the Shrine of Worship. A huge cloud of sand and dust kicked up behind them, obscuring them as well as anything else could have. Akami was having a particularly difficult time and the soldier assigned her had his work cut out for him to keep her horse in line. It wasn't Akami's fault, she held on well enough, but had almost no experience on a horse let alone at top speed. Alessa wished she could help, but Deis wasn't about to stop and she knew she wouldn't be left behind. Not now after her sister had found her at last. _Who can it be_?_ Nobody with any sense attacks imperial troops_! Alessa thought to herself.

The landscape, such as it was, flew by, the hills along the left the cliffs in the far distance to their right. Alessa recalled something about a town being in those plains and could only hope it was far enough away not to be in the path of whoever was coming up behind them. Their horses lathered and blowing hard, they finally stopped to cross the stone bridge that spanned Half-Moon Canyon to the southwest and led to the Shrine of Worship and Alessa urged Argo up to Akami.

"Let her get on with me. Argo is big enough to handle two women until we get to the shrine, and we can move faster than if she's about to fall off." The soldier nodded to Akami who dismounted and limped over to Alessa who helped her up on Argo. While Alessa and Akami waited to cross, Deis rode back barely glancing at the two women.

"Hurry Hejeria…" she whispered peering back the way they had come. She was still staring when Alessa and Akami to crossed the bridge. In the end, Deis was the last one across. They started again at a fast trot the horses could maintain longer and made for the back of the giant temple by way of the west side. Skirting the temple, Alessa was struck once again by its sheer size. Deis seemed oblivious, or at least she forced herself not to notice and she led them around to the south side of the huge structure. The southern face of the temple had two broad staircases leading into its interior and a smaller set up stairs leading to a stone slab that was covered with carvings. Unknown to Alessa it was exactly like the one Ryu and Kaarn had seen on their survey mission.

Deis sent a few of her lightly armed soldiers to the north side of the temple and the bridge to watch for Hejeria or their mysterious attackers. Deis posted more of her troops south of the temple to watch the approaches from the ridges there. She had positioned the rest of her forces around the stairs while she prepared to explore the interior when Akami appeared in front of her, with Alessa in tow.

"You can't do this," she said firmly. "I won't allow you to enter the Shrine."

"What? I don't have time for this—" Deis began.

"Deis, listen to her," Alessa urged. "This place is strange, I can feel it and I know you can too. I think it would be a bad idea to go in there."

"I—" Deis began again. This time she turned to look up at the temple, examining the arches and greenery. "Only the three of us will go into the temple. You," she said nodding at Akami, "can tell me if I'm about to do anything to desecrate it."

Realizing she wasn't going to get a better offer, Akami nodded glumly. Deis motioned her to lead the way while Alessa fell in beside her as they climbed up the eastern set of stairs. The interior of the shrine was a fascinating mix of shadows and sunlight coming from an enormous hole in the ceiling of the main hall. Deis saw long alcoves extending back along the hall to an open space at the back, with each alcove housing a pile of dirt and stones. At the southern end of the hall was an altar connected to a huge structure attached to the inside wall and rose nearly to the roof of the huge hall.

"It's… enormous," Deis finally said.

"We should leave," Akami replied.

Deis looked at her then at Alessa. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. Something about this place feels very strange. I don't think I want to stay here. Akami, where can we fall back to besides this temple? I don't care how good it is, I just need something."

"I… there's a forest to the southwest, it's not very far." She was interrupted by a commotion behind them and Hejeria ran up the stairs into the temple. He was sweating and tired and he had thrown on his helmet, a simple affair that was more like a thick circlet around the forehead with a crest and nose guard.

"Lady Deis, bad news. We linked up with the rest of our forces but the attackers are coming straight here. They aren't even bothering to survey the land. They know exactly where they're going. We're outnumbered at least by 2 to 1, maybe more."

"That settles it," Deis replied. "Akami you're getting your wish, we'll be leaving. Hejeria, get us ready to ride south. Akami says there is a forest there so we'll be sheltering there. Make sure whoever we leave on the ridges can get out fast if they need to." Hejeria gave a half-bow already running back out of the shrine. Deis and the other two women quickly followed his example.

"You're pushing them hard," Alessa commented. "Galloping half the morning, barely a half hour to rest here then we're off again hard to the south."

"I don't need this right now," Deis replied without even turning around. Returning to her horse she checked the large bundle secured to the saddle. Alessa's eyes focused on it, as if trying to see what was inside then abruptly uncomfortable she turned away.

"Are you all right?" she asked Akami.

"Yes," Ico's wife replied tiredly. "I hurt from the ride, but there's not choice for us."

"What will Ico do?"

Akami only shook her head.

They quickly continued south, and Alessa was impressed all over again by the efficiency of her sister's troops. By now it was the middle of the afternoon and she had experienced a rough day with desert travel, a duel, capture, and now this. She let her head hang down as she followed Deis. She wasn't as alert as she could have been and she was surprised when they turned west at the cliffs to the south of the shrine. A minute later there wer shouts of surprise and a commotion coming from the tumbled ruins near the shrine.

Alessa looked up in time to see Ico and a score of others from Canossa village surrounded by Deis's soldiers. Ico kept scanning the soldiers and only relaxed when he saw Akami behind Alessa. Akami for her part wriggled down and ran to her husband, embracing him tenderly and whispering to him urgently in a low voice. Deis traded a look with her captain before dismounting and approaching the couple.

"I see you know Akami."

"You could say that," Ico replied calmly and coolly. "May I ask who you are?"

"It's polite to give your name when asking," Deis responded.

"It's also polite not to trespass on someone else's land."

"Very well," Deis said with a bow. "I am Deis of Genria and these are my troops, I can promise you we don't intend harm to anyone who lives in this land."

"I am Ico, the governor of the village of Canossa. We don't like outsiders here, and your presence is disconcerting at best."

"Governor Ico we are in pursuit of some fugitives," Deis said. She nodded back to Alessa, "This woman, though regrettably my sister, is one of them. She was with Akami, and I can only assume you gave her some assistance. We have a warrant for their arrest signed by the imperial authorities." Behind Deis, Alessa made a small disgusted sound but the younger woman didn't even turn.

"I know what you're after," Ico replied calmly. "But there is a second army entering our land, and you're fleeing it."

"Not entirely," Deis answered. "Our action was defensive; we don't have a quarrel with anyone except the fugitives. We want to avoid them if possible despite their attack. This is your concern and not ours."

Whatever Ico would have said in response he never got the chance as one of the scouts assigned to the ridge arrived. He saluted Hejeria and after a minute, he nodded and turned to Deis giving her a perfunctory bow, more a bend at the waist than anything else.

"My lady, the report is that this mystery army is taking up positions around the large temple and securing the immediate area."

"Already? How did they get down the cliffs so quickly and catch up to us?"

"The scouts report only a few of them are armed for mounted combat. Most are infantry and lightly armed and armored."

"It's no concern of ours as long as they aren't after us." Hejeria ventured a protest but Deis shook her head. "No. There aren't enough of us to take them on, and as much as I'd like to take revenge for Kawano, we need to follow our orders."

"Lady Deis," Ico interrupted quietly. "We cannot allow you to exercise your responsibilities here. If anything we must determine whether to turn them in or not. They have been received as guests here and I would be loath to turn them over to you without giving them a chance to tell their side of the story."

"Governor," Deis responded, "May I respectfully assert that you have other problems far more important than our presence here. We want nothing in this land."

"Be that as it may," Ico said, "I will not compromise our sovereignty."

They were interrupted by another twenty people approaching from the west on foot, but led by a pair of men on horses and another man walking in front of them. In the late evening light and under the shadow of the cliffs it was difficult to make out much, but they all seemed to have arrows pointed at Deis. Deis sighed and looked to Hejeria who shrugged helplessly. It would be up to her to salvage this and if the riders where who she suspected... The two riders dismounted and all three men approached Ico and Akami.

"You look good Deis," Ryu said quietly.

"You just look tired," Deis answered, a tiny note of compassion entering her voice. She noted Kaarn standing behind him his eyes searching for Alessa. The other man was clothed in a robe and was talking urgently with Akami and Ico.

"It's been a tiring day," Ryu replied with a shrug. "I'm glad you didn't just grab us here."

"I don't want to die before my time anymore than you do," Alessa's sister laughed. "You made your choice Ryu. Why'd you do it?"

"For you and Alessa I guess," the black-haired man laughed. "I didn't want your country to go under anymore than you did."

"You don't know anything about it," Deis seethed.

"Like hell we don't," Ryu mocked. "I've got a proposition for you. Ico's not about to hand us over to you, am I right?"

"He is correct," Ico replied entering the conversation.

"Then I swear I'll turn myself in if you help Ico and his people against these invaders."

"What?" Deis blinked. She couldn't believe her ears. Behind her Alessa was shouting something she didn't bother to try to understand. "Why would…?"

"This is the first place in a long time that's given us a welcome and hasn't tried to turn us in. I feel a little protective of it. Kaarn, go get Alessa."

"But this new army hasn't done anything—" Deis said, motioning absently to Hejeria to allow the other man to pass.

"Not yet, not according to the Shaman," Ico said. "He sensed danger from them. They're camped about the shrine, and he thinks they're trying to force their way in."

"So…?"

"If they do they can strike at our entire way of life. I'm not about to explain, but it would be bad for this land and for the people in it. I'm charged with safeguarding it, and if Ryu wants to turn himself in to help protect it, I can't in conscience talk him out of it."

"You've all agreed?" Deis asked as Alessa and Kaarn joined them flanked by her guards.

"No," Kaarn said, "Just Ryu."

"That's not much of a—"

"It's more than you'll get without a fight and I know your orders are to catch him. You just want to capture me because it's personal," Alessa snarled.

Deis looked daggers at her older, more pale, sister but didn't disagree. Finally she sighed and raised her head to look at the cloudless star-filled sky above them. A bright full moon was out, giving everything a slightly mysterious air. Looking back at Ryu she saw he was gazing at her calmly, but there was something in the back of his eyes that she couldn't define and it made her… curious. She'd never known Ryu to be excessively loyal to anyone except Kaarn and Alessa.

"I want to scout out these new soldiers for myself," Deis answered finally. "Ryu, we'll go back to the scouts. The moon should be bright enough to see something. I'll make my final decision then. I won't try to arrest you, but if you turn on us and we don't come back – Hejeria knows what to do." As Hejeria nodded and turned his attention to Aless and Kaarn, Ryu gave Deis one more long searching look before nodding.

"I don't know why, but I believe you," he said finally.

"Good, then let's go. I want to make this decision before tomorrow." As she turned to go and Ryu went back to his horse, Hejeria grabbed her arm.

"Lady Deis are you…"

"No," she replied. "But I have to do this. I've trained hard since then. He won't take me by surprise."

Hejeria just looked at her as she and Ryu rode back the way she had recently come to the ridges that overlooked the Shrine of Worship. They rode close together, both armed with swords but Deis also had the bundle strapped to her saddle. She wouldn't leave that under any circumstances and certainly not anywhere her sister was. Most of the ride was spent in silence, but Deis noticed that Ryu kept stealing looks at her.

"What?" she asked at last.

"Nothing," Ryu replied. "It's just… I didn't think you'd grow up like you have. I mean, Alessa always thought you were a whiny nuisance."

"I _was_ a whiny nuisance. I wanted to be the one to find you and bring you in. I had to train hard to be able to win that job."

There were only a couple of hours until midnight when they reached the ridge south and a little west of the temple. The two scouts there motioned Deis and Ryu forward while one took their horses over to where their own mounts where. They got down on their bellies near the edge of the ridge and Deis took out her telescope to observe the encampment that had sprung up against the base of the temple.

The camp itself seemed fairly standard to Deis, scores of tents arranged in neat rows in a rough semicircle around the stairways that led deeper into the shrine. On each side of the circle were rows of horses with several guards among them. She couldn't be sure in the night, but she thought there were guards walking along the edge of the encampment also. There were larger paths throughout the camp, and where these intersected there was a fire burning, well out of reach of anything flammable. In addition there was a pair of larger tents right up next to the shrine protected by the rest of the soldiers. She spotted figures moving along them.

"Take a look," she said to Ryu handing him her telescope. While he looked she questioned her scout on what he had already seen. The camp had been set up she herself had overseen dozens of times, but she grimaced when the scout said they had no markings on their uniforms, to go along with the violent and brown colors.

"Hey, I think…. Deis look at this," Ryu said putting a hand on her shoulder. "That light, they have a mage with them, and a good one too." Deis turned brushing his hand away and took the proffered telescope but she didn't bother using it. Near the larger a bright blue-white light had blossomed. It seemed almost harsh besides the warm glow of the fires, but revealed something very important, as a small group of soldiers was clustered around two people who seemed to be in deep discussion.

"The leaders," Deis said as she peeked through the telescope one more. She saw what appeared to be a man and woman, or at least, one with broader shoulders and closely cropped hair while the other was smaller and had long dark hair. With their backs to her she couldn't be sure the second wasn't a small male.

"I think the smaller one is the mage," Ryu said. "At least, that one gestured when the light appeared. Look how it just stops right before the first line of tents. It takes a strong mage to control it like that. I hope that's the only one."

"Yes," Deis murmured, still hoping the mage would turn around. Then the other mage did, looking straight at Deis. She gasped and dropped the telescope in shock. It would have fallen over the edge of the ridge had Ryu not snaked out a hand and grabbed it.

"What the hell?" he demanded.

"That woman…" she said meaning the mage. "We know her!"

"You're sure?" Ryu said looking through the telescope again. "I'll be damned!" he exclaimed after a second. "That's…"

"Nekozna!" Deis snarled. "We have to get back. Now."

--------------------------------------------------

_  
_Ryu and Deis didn't make it back to the camp until well past midnight but that didn't stop her from waking Hejeria and ordering a meeting between themselves, the three fugitives, Ico and whoever he chose to bring. Alessa and Kaarn were routed out of bed, complaining and arrived last to the small fire where Deis sat around with Ryu, Ico, Akami, the Shaman and Hejeria. After an irritated moment, Deis motioned Alessa to sit down next to her while Kaarn sat next to Ryu.

"What the hell is—" Alessa began.

"Shut up," Deis interrupted Then continued, "Remember Nekozna?"

"That traitor!" Alessa breathed.

"The mage?" Kaarn asked

"Yes…" Deis said quietly. Noticing Ico looking mystified she nodded to Alessa to explain. "Tell him how we know her."

"Nekozna was the ranking mage at our parent's court," she said. "She she came out of the west over the mountains, but she was very good and went from traveler to court mage in two years. There were rumors that her rivals suffered at her hands, but she was skilled enough that it didn't matter."

"She betrayed you," Ico said, it wasn't a question.

"Yes," Deis nodded. "I didn't find out until later, but she passed on almost everything she heard to the empire. It's the main reason why our army was broken so quickly. Alessa always suspected her," she said with a grudging nod.

"It's why I never finished my mage training," Alessa replied. "I didn't trust her."

"What is someone like that doing here?" Akami asked in alarm.

"Probably going after whatever is the shrine," Kaarn answered grimly. "You made a bargain up there so that you could live here so there's something powerful up there."

"He's right," Deis said. "I was young then, but I remember the way she gained power."

"What's up there?" Ryu asked turning to the shaman. The shaman looked older than they'd seen him while he shook his head and looked at Ico and his wife. They looked grimmer than the shaman if that were possible.

"A… presence," he said reluctantly. "It is this spirit that we struck the bargain with to remain at peace with each other. It gave the shaman the power to summon the colossi."

"Colossi?" Deis blinked. "What are—"

"Shut up!" Alessa snapped a nasty smile on her face. "You don't want to know."

"I… Could this Nekozna woman… how powerful is she?" Ico asked at last.

"Very," Deis and Alessa replied as one.

"If she's come for this power and gets it…" Kaarn asked. "What happens to you?"

"We'll be destroyed," the shaman sighed.

"The land will become what it was before, hostile. Our only choice will be to flee the land or die," Ico finished. Akami held her husband, leaning her head against his shoulder looking grim. There was a tense air about the meeting, like a breath being held.

"Then we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," Deis said at last. Ico stared at her in surprise. "Hejeria," she said turning to the quiet captain, "I want us ready to ride in four hours. We need to be there before dawn."

"Yes Lady," Hejeria said with a bow and a look at Ryu.

"Ryu," Deis continued, "Don't forget your promise."

"I'm sure you won't let me," Ryu said with a laugh.


	6. Chapter 6

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 6

After the short late night conference broke up, Deis and her soldiers waited until the morning before moving out in the direction of the shrine. Despite her initial order, she changed her mind and decided to send a squad forward while she and the travelers took the opportunity to actually get some sleep. With the shaman able to feel if the enemy mage was trying to intrude on the more sacred portions of the shrine, they felt it wasn't necessary to go charging in right away and as Deis said, this way they wouldn't make any stupid mistakes. The sun had risen to mid-morning by the time Deis and the others were back on the ridges examining the camp. Alessa was peering through Kaarn's telescope at the camp.

"I don't think it's _quite_ 3-to-1 odds," she said after a minute.

"But it _is_ a full company," Deis answered not facing her sister.

"I don't see any pikes," Ryu said while using Deis's own device. "Not that you can't hide pikes, but they seem so oblivious to us I can't image why they would. They do have barricades up to the south, nothing too major mostly it looks like bales of straw or wooden crates. Just enough to stop arrows."

"What's your plan?" Kaarn asked Deis while peering over Ryu's back.

"I'm not sure," Alessa's younger sister replied. "Since they aren't that well mounted, I'm inclined to hit and run attacks. We'll lure away the horsemen they do have then hit the remaining foot soldiers with arrows and follow up with our own cavalry. With the archers that the shaman brought it should work."

"That sounds messy," Ryu said, while still peering at the encampment. A moment later he slid back and sat up handing the telescope back to Deis who held it carefully as the three of them pulled back from the edge to talk.

"Not as messy as you might think…" Kaarn corrected. "If it works. If they don't follow then you'll have lost the element of surprise. Besides, they're not here to conquer the land, they're interested in the shrine. They'll keep close to it."

"I hadn't thought of that," Deis admitted. "I'm too used to having the enemy army as an objective."

"Imperial dog," Alessa added as she leaned out a little farther over the edge of the ridge to get a better look. "Dammit, why are they just sitting there talking?" She slid a little farther down and Kaarn absently grabbed her belt dragging her back onto more soldier ground. He never even noticed the glare she shot him.

"Besides you're forgetting the mage. I know one mage can only do so much, but Nekozna's powerful and we'd be out in the open," Kaarn continued.

"You're obviously not going to propose a charge then," Deis said. "Not when you just got finished telling me how she can hurt us in the open. What else is there?"

"It's not your fault," Kaarn shrugged. "You never saw them before."

"Oh, you mean…" Ryu began.

"That's right, a Colossus!"

"What's a Colossus?" Deis asked.

"Then let's get back to the shaman," Ryu said. "We'll see what he can do. Alessa," he called out, "we're going."

"I'll stay here," the redhead replied still focused on the enemy camp.

"No you won't," Deis muttered grabbing Alessa roughly and dragging her upright. Alessa shouted in surprise and roughly shoved her younger sister away, brushing the dust off her clothes energetically. Kaarn quickly took the instrument from the girl shooting an annoyed look at the stockier Deis who had a nasty smile on her face. "I'm not letting her out of my sight," she added.

"Fine, we all go," Ryu said rolling his eyes.

They did just that, sliding down the ridge to where Ico's men and Deis's soldiers waited, most either slumped in their saddles or holding their horses tightly. They hadn't been waiting too long, and the day though warm did not have the promise of the heat of the deserts to the north and south of the central Canossa Plains.

In the middle of this, Ico, his wife Akami and the shaman were seated talking with Hejeria and sipping wine from a small flask the captain had brought out. Deis was surprised that her normally reserved aide was talking animatedly with strangers but the gasps of surprise when Ryu asked about the Colossus focused her attention on more important things.

"Look, you said they're for protecting your people aren't they? Well this is a situation that calls for that if I ever saw it!" Alessa said. "Just because we beat one, doesn't mean they can."

"She's right," Ryu seconded. "If Nekozna gets into that shrine then she'll certainly do your people harm."

"Shaman, I think they're correct," Akami said placing her pale-gold hand on the old man's arm. "If these people wish to plunder our secrets they must be stopped."

The shaman sighed, looking worried. "There is a problem," he finally said. "If I were to summon a Colossus, then that would require a lessening of the defenses of the Shrine allowing this mage—this Nekozna woman—easier access. If you cannot stop her fast enough…"

"We might have to take that chance unless we can come up with a better plan," Kaarn admitted. "We're heavily outnumbered."

"We also haven't received any replies from the messages sent to the other settlements," Ico said. "We can't count on anything more than what we already have."

"Then we have to strike as hard as we can right away, and maybe we can kill Nekozna in the confusion," Alessa growled.

"I'm not sure that's the best—" Kaarn began but froze at a groan from the shaman.

"It's begun! The defenses are being tested… There is no more time!"

"What _are _the defenses!" Ryu demanded as Deis turned to Hejeria and started shouting orders.

"I have never entered that place," the shaman replied. "We only do so when we are ready to pass on our mantle to our successor and the successor remains outside the shrine."

"Can you summon a Colossi?" Ico asked him as the commotion of the soldiers breaking their makeshift camp began to build.

"I… will have to," the shaman replied. Ico nodded and turned to his wife.

"Akami you need to stay with him, I have to be with the others."

"I know my love, stay safe," Akami said as she leaned forward and they kissed for a moment before Ico turned and ran to where the archers from Canossa were gathering looking nervous. Meanwhile Kaarn and Deis were hammering out some tactical decisions, where he loomed over the small, slightly stocky girl while Deis gestured furiously at him in return.

"Well, here we go again," Ryu said to Alessa with a shrug. "Looks like war's caught up with us one more time. Honestly... I was getting a little bored." With a laugh he ran to his horse and drew his long blade. There were enough archers that his bow wouldn't make much of a difference.

"I like boring," Alessa said sadly.

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"I would appreciate it, if you'd tell me why you feel the need to sit here!" the white-haired leader of the soldiers snapped.

The mage and the man in charge of the soldiers were sitting around a small table set up on the grass on the south side of the Shrine of Worship just below the stairs to the save shrine. Several guards stood nearby, far enough away to give them a semblance of privacy but close enough to aid them if they would need it. All around them the soldiers they had brought into the Forbidden Lands were almost casually preparing themselves for what they hoped would be a quiet day. Never the less several squads were ready to take action should the need arise and these were mostly gathered in the southwest section of the encampment.

Hearing his words, Nekozna deigned to smile at him, her teeth bright and even in a warm, yet condescending grin. She closed her eyes and raised her head, causing her chin-length hair to fall straight back along her face. She remained still for a moment, breathing deeply until the older man opened his mouth to speak.

"Certain persons have yet to align, certain signs have not been given, certain actions have not yet occurred… simply put, it's not yet time," Nekozna replied at last. "Calm down Lord Elarro, we won't be here much longer. I'm sure of that."

"You have done nothing to access the secrets of this shrine," Lord Elarro protested, his big bushy mustache, chin-beard and eyebrows almost quivering with anger, his dark honey-colored skin flushing with anger. "All the way here you spoke of nothing else but reaching this place and obtaining its secrets and now nothing. We slaughtered those soldiers just because they _might_ have gotten in our way and all for nothing."

"They would have been in our way quickly enough. Soon…" Nekozna said soothingly.

"I may be obligated to follow your suggestions but remember they are just that!" Lord Elarro snapped at her. Nekozna reacted then turning to face him, her dark, nearly black eyes grabbing hold of him the way a hawk's would for prey.

"You've your domains Elarro, and I've mine. If mine happen to overlap with yours… then you must adapt."

"I am not your servant, I am the Lord of Ishoken Castle," the older lord replied, holding his anger on a tight reign despite the bad manners of naming his title. "I don't care what concessions you wring out of the king, you have been assigned to me."

"If you think for one minute that I came to Ishoken because I've been _assigned_—" suddenly Nekozna paused and began to smile a real smile, one of satisfaction. She stood up abruptly, her divided robes rustling, and nodded to Lord Elarro. "The waiting is over," she said quietly, anticipation filling her voice.

With no expression on his face, the older man stood as well snatching up his sword belt, buckling it around his waist with the ease of long practice then turned and started had some quiet words with several of the soldiers standing nearby. Nodding, several of them dashed off to alert the remaining troops to prepare for the second phase of their operation, securing the main hall of the shrine. Lord Elarro turned back to the mage who was waiting quietly with lips moving, eyes half-shut and hands in the meditative position over her belly. Her midnight blue silk dress shone a bit in the light, and she looked about as mysterious as he had ever seen her. The old man's mouth twisted; he despised the little shows she liked to put on to impress his men.

"Elarro," Nekozna said after a moment, "I intend to arm the special weapon we brought before I enter the shrine. Make sure you assemble the apparatus."

"So… isn't it a bit above you to do such a menial task?" the old man asked sardonically.

"This is a critical time I don't want to take any chances, and something about the way the soldiers in the forest were dressed… the patch on their tunics reminded me of something though I cannot say quite what. Just do as I ask."

"Very well," he replied and left to do just that.

While he did, Nekozna made her way up the stairs into the interior of the shrine that had been left largely empty by their forces. She moved deeper into the great hall of the shrine, until she stood in the pool of sunlight pouring down from a huge hole in the ceiling of the main hall. It was bright, but she could easily see verdant growth around the edges of the opening, which had to be at 100 meters above her. There were stone alcoves lining the walls of the hall, 8 on each side, and in each alcove was a pile of rocks and dirt looking worn over and smoothed with the passage of time. Other than that, the great hall was empty except for an archway at the north end. Nekozna looked down and studied the smooth, dark coffee-colored skin and long elegant fingers of her hands and clenched them into fists.

Taking a breath, Nekozna raised her hands above her head palms up, in the center of light and began to chant in a low, smooth voice that had an almost musical hum. Still chanting, she began to make several passes above her with her hands, and each time it seemed that they left very faint trails of light, or distortion behind them that vanished after an instant. The air inside the great hall began to thicken with a growing sense of force and menace, both barely repressed. She began to chant louder, raising her voice until it was of normal speaking volume and issued one sharp work of command before spreading her arms as far as they would go in an opening gesture. There was a huge thunderclap of air in the great hall, and for a second, the wind whipped her hair and clothing before settling back down into stillness. As several drops of sweat trickled down her face the mage smiled, the beginning had been made.

Turning, she quickly made her waqy to stone ledge that projected out to the south above the save shrine. Several large crates were positioned there and Nekozna approached one that was about waist high and marked with a red symbol and runes. She placed her hand on symbol and spoke a word before undoing the metal latch on the crate and flipping the cover over on its hinges.

While several lightly armed soldiers rushed up the stairs and began unloading the other two larger crates, Nekozna paused a moment to contemplate the objects in the one she had unsealed, the only one magically locked. Then she extended her arms, spreading her hands apart until they encompassed the entire crate and whispered several words while making tiny movements with her fingers. A red and purple glow suffused the crate for a moment and Nekozna nodded pleased at how quickly she had accomplished her task.

Turning she nodded to one of the soldiers who started shouting orders at his fellows before she moved deeper into the great hall of the Shrine, past the pool of light and the rubble in the wall alcoves toward the arch that lead to a room with a spiral staircase and a shallow pit in the shape of a circle, with a small barrier around it. As she approached, she felt a greater wind push against her, trying to force her back though there was no where it could have come from. Lighting her right hand palm up, she faced the archway and half-closed her eyes whispering words in the same language she had chanted in before. With an almost tortured wail, the howling wind stopped.

Laughing to herself, the elegant mage entered the room with the spiral staircase. This was going to be easier than she thought.

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The first alert the soldiers of Lord Elarro had was when the lookouts spotted a clouds of dust approaching from each of the ridges to the south. They wasted no time in alerting the rest of their comrades and Lord Elarro quickly ordered up a defensive line just south of the encampment to the barricades they had erected. He quickly organized his mounted troops into a reserve force and his archers into three units behind the initial barricade so he could move them to respond wherever he had to. Unfortunately this meant the foot soldiers at the barricades would have to take the full brunt of the enemy but their shields and weapons had been designed for that.

Deis and Kaarn had used the ridgelines themselves to conceal the majority mounted troops while the archers were double-mounted on horses in the shadow of the ridges and they had been the ones to attack first, charging forward in the clouds of dust the lookouts saw. However before reaching the barricades, they horses halted, letting both Ico's archers and Deis's crossbowmen get on the ground and set themselves. They initially stopped out of bowshot of the barricades but when no archers were spotted they were able to advance on foot until they were close enough for Ico's bowmen to fire, which Ico who had been designated as the commander for the bowmen (with Hejeria commanding the crossbows) quickly ordered them to do.

"Ready…. and fire!" he shouted, watching the first flight of arrows arch over the barricades and onto the waiting ground troops who had already raised large interlocking shields that, when they knelt against the barricades, were a fairly effective protection. One or two of them fell, but most of the arrows stuck into barricades, or were repelled by the shields. A second flight followed the first, and a third, but less than a handful soldiers fell all told. With the main objective being the shrine, the troops from Ishoken held where they were and Deis spared a moment to curse their patience as it meant she would have to rush in and dig them out.

"No choice," Deis snapped to Ryu. "Our turn."

Ryu nodded and waved to the contingent he was leading with while Alessa and Kaarn readied their own troops who quickly lined up behind them in a rough double column as Ryu turned and shouted, "Charge!"

Deis was loathe to let Alessa out of her site, but with Kaarn in command she knew she could have done a lot worse to her own soldiers. Both forces, each a score of soldiers, moved out from the ridges, reaching full gallop after less than a minute and heading to both flanks of the barricades which did not extend much to the southwest or southeast of the semi-circle encampment. As soon as Ico noticed the charge of the others, he directed his archers to concentrate on the southwest flank of the line to cause enough confusion and delay to make the charge effective while Hejeria gathered his crossbowmen and rushed to close with the defenders on the southeast flank to give the other charge cover.

This time, the forces under Lord Elarro did not have time to reach as quickly as they might have and Ryu and Deis's contingent had already circled the slightly defended western flank of the Ishoken troops before even the cavalry force could be brought to bear. Wheeling right, they rode hard against the defenders who had only started to turn and face them. Deis and Ryu both drew their longer blades raising them high and hacking down at the troops on the ground.

On the southeast side of the barricade, Alessa and Kaarn were doing the same, though Alessa was using her bow because her glaive wasn't made for mounted combat. To her left, Hejeria and the rest of the crossbow-wielding soldiers had approached closely enough (about 20 meters) to the line and had started to fire crossbow bolts into the troops that were not yet engaged with Kaarn and Alessa's forces. She forced herself to ignore the particularly loud screams from that side as the heavy bolts shattered bodies and tore apart limbs. Meanwhile, Ico ordered some of his own archers close to counter the charge of the enemy cavalry who were only a few seconds away from hitting the charges

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"Dammit!" Ryu snarled as he yanked his sword out of the corpse an Ishoken soldier as he looked around in time to see half the Ishoken cavalry smash into the side of their own smaller contingent. The charge was blunted by a flight of arrows from Ico's troops that had approached close enough to fire on the enemy horsemen but in moments it was a confused melee of Ishoken troops and their own hacking at each other while the enemy infantry regrouped. "Deis!"

"I know!" Deis shouted as she reigned around, unfortunately several arrows immediately buried themselves in her horse and the animal screamed in pain as it went down.

"No!" Ryu shouted and tried to make his way towards her, but a huge enemy soldier stood in his way, heavy curved blade coming in a horizontal sweep toward his body. Ryu brought up his own blade and managed to turn the other just in time. The swords slid along each other long enough for several sparks to be born before Ryu pulled back his blade, and using his quicker response time, slashed across while the soldier was still bringing up his sword. Ryu's blade buried itself in the other's neck, but Ryu barely noticed the huge gout of blood as he desperately tried to make his way to where Deis had gone down as arrows began to fly towards the mounted troops from the archers that Lord Elarro had kept back.

At first he despaired, but then he spotted her desperately battling one of the enemy cavalry how kept leaning out of the saddle to smash his sword on her own. Deis was trying to keep her own fallen mount in between herself and other but in the press of bodies it was only a matter of time. However the enemy had not counted on Ryu or the savage way he drove his blade into his back. The other soldier arched his back in a moan and jerked once as he toppled out of the saddle. Ryu extended a hand and Deis grabbed it, vaulting up behind him. The ground began to shake then, like a small earthquake around them and Ryu saw several of the enemy soldiers began to gesture to the south.

"We have to pull back!" he shouted as he tried to gain some space around them. Deis did the same to create a little arc of space around them. "Too many!"

"They're fully involved now," she returned, "I don't think we _can _disengage!"

Ryu grmily nodded as another mounted soldier with a couple of infantry moved in on them.

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Kaarn had been forced to dismount and was fighting with his back to the barricade, in this case a bale of straw. He had lost his bow early on and an axe was not made for horseback. Snarling, he swung it as easily as if it were made paper and struck one of the enemy soldiers a terrific blow in the side. The enemy crashed to the ground already covered in his own blood and Kaarn looked around for Alessa. He had just spotted her on the ground as well, her double-glaive whirling as she held back a couple of attackers herself, the blades moving so fast she it was almost like she was spinning a web of silver-gray light when the ground started to shake.

"About time!" he muttered. They were moments away from being overwhelmed by the greater numbers of the enemy despite the surprises they had used. From the beginning both he and Deis had realized that if they were going to survive long enough to stop Nekozna from reaching the shrine, their attack would have to be savage and swift enough to overwhelm the soldiers. That looked like it wasn't about to happen when the shaking started and a moment later, soldiers from both sides were pointing to the south, was stunned awe on their faces.

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"We have to wait—" Deis began after they had dealt with their last attackers, as the ground continued to shake but her voice trailed off as she looked to the south and saw what many of the enemy already had. "Dear God" she breathed, "what the hell is that?"

"You wanted to know what a Colossus was, didn't you?" Ryu whispered in her ear.

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"NO!" Lord Elarro shouted.

The huge being was already moving forward rapidly, right into the center of the southern line where most of his infantry troops had regrouped to charge the attacks on his flanks and finish them off.

Unlike the man-shaped Colossus the shaman had summoned to battle the three travelers, this colossus was more of an animal. Four huge legs, like pillars, smashed the earth beneath it as it walked, leaving a trail of destruction behind it, compounded by the sweeping tail. A huge hulking stone shell rose on its back, protecting it from aerial assault and it moved low on the ground, its huge multi-horned head and small glowing eyes focused on the encampment.

Some of the Ishoken soldiers fired arrows at it, to ludicrous effect as they bounced off the strong stone hide of the Colossus. Other simply ran, but most had no choice but stay and die where they stood as the Colossus raised its giant head and reared up on its hind legs with and accompanied by a titanic roar, plunged right into the mass of infantry that had gathered in the center. Shaking its head along the ground, bodies flew left and right victims of the Colossus's rage.

With this for an example, most of the remaining ground troops turned to run for their lives but it was to no avail as with another roar, the Colossus raised its head and spewed some sort of lighting bolts at the fleeing soldiers. A dozen of them were blown off their feet, several transformed into wizened, smoldering husks from the blasts. With another roar the Colossus reared up on its hind legs again, ready to deal out even more damage to the shattered Ishoken troops.

Lord Elarro watched in horror as the thing that had appeared on the horizon proceeded to butcher his trusted soldiers. He had never imaged anything existed in the world that could be so destructive but the shattered ground and bodies of his men made a mockery of that belief. As the Colossus lumbered towards him, he turned to run along with the rest of his men, but instead of scattering as his men were doing, he raced for the Shrine of Worship and the weapon on the platform there, shouting to his men, try to rally them on him. First one, or two, then a handful then more listened to him and they ran from the Shrine together.

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"Now's our chance," Ryu shouted, "We have to get to the shrine!" Deis didn't even respond until he grabbed her arm, but then she turned and both of them started to run towards the stairs.

On the other side of the battle, Kaarn and Alessa—her left arm and half her face bloody—were doing the same, leaving Hejeria and Ico to deal with the scattered groups of soldiers that had survived the assault of the Colossus. The camp was already in shambles from the earthquake the Colossus had caused as well as the fleeing soldiers and energy blasts, and the torn ground did more to slow them than any enemy action. Behind them the Colossus continued to roar and destroy, laying waste to the initial skirmish line and beginning to tear into the main camp.

They were closing in on the stairs, the Colossus not far behind them, when Alessa spotted what she took to be the leader of the soldiers, an old man, with a score of troops gathered all on the ledge around a huge metallic contraption. It looked like a giant metal tube, the height of a man and even longer. The Colossus was rushing right toward it, almost as if it was intent on obliterating the Shrine itself. Suddenly a huge boom almost as loud as the roar of the Colossus shattered the air and a gout of fire blossomed from the end of the tube that was nearest the Colossus.

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Lord Elarro of Ishoken was distraught. His men were slaughtered and now that thing was coming towards him. He reached the ledge where his men had set up the weapon a little ways ahead of the colossus with maybe a dozen soldiers who had followed him.

"Load the cannon!" he snarled at the crew.

The men in charge of the special weapon had been staring in shock at the oncoming monster, but his voice snapped them to attention and while several rushed to the huge metal object they had assembled, one ran to the crate that Nekozna had cast the spell on and grabbed a giant shiny ball that glittered like black glass. Holding it carefully he rushed to the end of the long tube and with the help of another man he slid it down the tube so that it rested deep in the barrel. A third man had placed his hands squarely on the tube and was chanting rapidly.

"It's ready my lord!" one of the men shouted while the first man ran to grab another of the balls.

"Wait!" Lord Elarro ordered and the man nodded. The men on the ledge watched the Colossus approach until it loomed over them and raised its head to blast them with its energy shots. "NOW! FIRE!"

One of the crew shouted a word of command and the weapon fired. When the Colossus jerked back in pain or surprise at the blast, the men on the slab cheered but Lord Elarro gave them no time, urging them on with a reload which they did as quick as they could, less than a minute after the first shot, the cannon fired again.

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"What is that thing!" Alessa shouted as she and Kaarn took cover while more stone fragments rained down from the colossus. A third blast resulted in an explosion right in the face of the Colossus and with a moan this time, it did fall to the ground, burying its face in the broken dirt. It roared again, defeating them. Alessa looked up in time to see a chuck of stone strike one of the soldiers on head up on the ledge, and he went down like a puppet with no strings.

"I don't know," he shouted in her ear, his face pale. "But whatever it is, it's hurting the Colossus."

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The shaking, the bellows of the Colossus, the roar of the cannon… none of that troubled Nekozna nor distracted her for a moment. Behind her, the door at the top of the spiral staircase lay in shattered fragments, torn apart by a power great than it could withstand in the person of the mage. Calmly, her skirts rustling, Nekozna walked up the only surviving ledge along the eastern side of the shrine, climbing to a doorway where bright sunlight spilled through. Approaching it, she took a deep breath before she entered the Secret Garden beyond.

It was truly beautiful, with white doves flitting among the tall trees, the sunlight bathing the garden in shades of gold and green, the vibrant grass with the sound of running water throughout due to the canals. A young fawn looked at her curiously as she walked deeper into the Secret Garden, un-afraid. A squirrel chattered at her from one of the trees above her head but she ignored it and walked on.

The feeling of power, of quiet strength heavy in the air up here was astonishing. She had never felt anything like it before, certainly not in the shrine below. That feeling had been one of anger or menace, this just was. A force of nature, rather than any kind of conscious power, amoral and humbling even to her. She looked down a huge hole in the garden to the spiral staircase room below. Apparently the light falling into the great hall came from a hole beyond the south wall of the garden. Nekozna slowly approached a flat stone slab at the east end of the garden, maybe in the center of the shrine all told. She stood on the slab, looking down to see it was covered in the strange glyphs that adorned the temple.

"All this power," she whispered. "It has no direction but it waits for one… and that means I can take it." She smiled.

"No," a woman's voice said behind her. Nekozna whirled. Behind her, radiant in the falling sunlight, was a woman of average height, with hair the color of jet, darker even than her own, with pale skin with just a hint of gold coloring and dark, mysterious eyes. She was wearing a simple white dress with hints of color along the bodice. The dress feel just above her ankles and her feet were bare.

"I am Nekozna," the dark woman said. "I am a mage of the highest order. Who are you to deny me the power I have the knowledge and will to claim?"

"Mono," the girl replied quietly.


	7. Chapter 7

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 7

"I've never heard of you, girl," Nekozna answered. "If you're some sort of rival who has come to take this power then be warned, I've slain greater mages than you."

"I am not," Mono said coming closer, her feet making barely a sound on the soft grass. A dove flew down from one of the trees and she paused for a moment, letting it alight on her outstretched hand. She brought the dove in close and it cooed as it rubbed its head against her cheek before flying off. "I _am_ this place," she said enigmatically.

"The same power as this place runs through you. Are you a manifestation of this power?"

"No," Mono answered. "I am this place now." The girl seemed strange, at first, almost otherworldly, but she was quickly solidifying, graining substance to match the dazzling essence of her that had blinded Nekozna at first.

"Then submit to me," Nekozna ordered. A second later, she raised her hand and lashed out with a quick, powerful spell. Even as she cast the spell, Mono raised her hand, and made a curious gesture, flinging it off to the side. One of the trees on the right exploded, pieces of bark raining down on the garden and fruit falling in droves. Nekozna was impressed, the girl was fast and skilled but… she still sensed no power in her only the strange essence of the land, woven through Mono.

"You do not understand," Mono replied. "I protect this place, and I am this place. It is who I am."

Nekozna struck again, surges of power, spells to distract and shatter Mono, to break her. But the girl simply raised both hands palms facing her, and the spells broke, rebounding around the Secret Garden, smashing into rocks, trees, and stone causing a storm of dust and debris to rise around the perimeter. Mono stood untouched in the center, except for a tiny cut on her cheek. A single drop of blood dried on her face.

"You're human," Nekozna said once she saw the blood. "I know that much."

"I protect this place," Mono replied, a tinge of confusion in her voice. "This is all that I am, all that I will ever be. Can ever be."

"How sad, you seem human enough to me," Nekozna snarled as she loosed another spell, this one not aimed at Mono, but the ground under her feet. Mono simply stepped forward with her left foot, and a gust of wind and torn earth appeared on either side of her, stretching back to the walls of the garden.

"I… was human once, I think," the girl replied, tilting her head to stare at Nekzona, almost birdlike in the motion. She paused, her face a picture of quiet confusion. "I remember," Mono breathed, "…a man… I… did I love him?" she seemed momentarily at a loss and Nekozna took the opportunity to move closer to her.

"You have been drowning in this power for so long," she said, her voice dripping with compassion. "It's taken you over hasn't it?"

"I have been here so long," Mono said, placing a hand to her head, her voice rising. "I remember despair… he kept on and I couldn't stop him. I tried! I tried so hard…" she swayed on her feet. By now Nekozna had reached her, and Mono fell to her knees, grabbing onto the other woman for support. She started to cry, "I was so scared, I didn't want him to succeed but I didn't want him to die either! No matter how hard I tried, he just got farther away!"

Nekzona smiled, as she put her arms around Mono.

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"Fire!" Lord Elarro ordered, and this time Ryu heard him. The cannon on the ledge fired again, impacting the leg of the giant Colossus. It staggered, falling to a knee with a rumble of agony. A huge chunk of stone had been torn out of its leg, and black blood was starting to cover the front of the great beast.

Ryu and Deis pounded up the stairs as fast as they could, confident the soldiers on the ledge were distract by the Colossus, but Lord Elarro saw them, shouting something as he and several of his own troops advanced on them. Lord Elarro drew his personal weapons, two short, thick, slightly curved single-edged blades. Ryu and Deis drew their swords while Alessa and Kaarn engaged the remaining troops not part of the cannon crew coming up the other stairway.

It was easy at first, as both Ryu and Deis were better than their opponents at least until they got to Lord Elarro. Ryu locked swords with one then spun out slashing him in the back and thrusting his sword forward to stab another, then knocked a third's blade out of the way to slash his blade across his opponent's throat. Deis did almost as well, slicing open one of her enemies and cutting the arm off another. Her technique was not as smooth as Ryu's, but her power was a little greater. The cannon fired again, a boom so deafening inside the temple that it forced the combatants to pause to regain their senses.

"I recognize you!" Lord Elarro said when he saw Deis. "You're an imperial officer!" He forced them back with his quick, vicious strokes.

"How could you know that?" Deis gasped out, as she parried a lightning quick slash to her throat and threw herself back to avoid another at her belly.

"I am not ignorant of what goes on beyond the borders of my country," Lord Elarro replied scornfully as both Ryu and Deis drew back to catch their breath.

"We're running out of shots!" one of the cannon crew called as another gout of flame blossomed at the barrel of the cannon.

"It won't be much longer," Lord Elarro shouted back as Deis rushed him.

She swung her sword down, but he blocked it with his right blade, stabbing at her exposed stomach with his left. Rushing in Ryu knocked Deis out of the way in time to avoid the stab, but it cost him a shallow gash on his side. Swinging his own blade wildly to force Lord Elarro back Ryu advanced carefully though he knew his best chance lay in attack. He swung his sword in a sweeping arc that Lord Elarro dodged. Then the older man waded in, short blades flickering. Ryu managed to block a slash using the hilt of his blade, but took the other on his shoulder in a bloody cut that sent fire along his arm. Diving to one side, he managed to score a small cut on Lord Elarro's leg. The old man didn't even pause, as he advanced on Deis who was moving in to attack him.

Before Ryu could react, there was a flurry of movement and Deis's blade had been torn from her grasp. Lord Elarro was about to cut her throat when a scream rang out throughout the entire shrine. This was no ordinary scream, it resounded off the walls of the great hall with timorous almost otherworldly echo. Explosions reverberated off the stone in the great hall, as red orange flames could be seen through the hole in the ceiling and the entire shrine began to shake and crumble around them.

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Nekozna laughed as Mono continued to shriek. The girl had all the power of this place, so much so that it had partially eaten into her personality, but she had been so distraught that she hadn't even noticed Nekozna building a complex arrangement as she clung to the other woman, weeping. Well, she noticed now, with Nekozna's hand pressed hard against her belly, fingers spread as wide as they could go. Mono jerked violently trying to flee the pain, but was held immobile by Nekozna's spell.

"You stupid, stupid bitch!" the mage snarled. "All that power and not a bit of brain to show for it! I should kill you as a lesson to the other idiots infesting this place."

All around her, thunder and lightning echoed through the Secret Garden, making walls crack and creating new paths higher in the shrine while obliterating old ones. Trees collapsed and exploded into flames brushed by the backlash of Nekozna's power. Mono continued to scream, her limbs jerking and her head whipping back and forth. Behind her, one of the huge columns in the middle of the garden shattered, imploding in an avalanche of dust and stone an instant before the large waterfall near a pile of blocks collapsed, flooding the canals and drenching the lower part of the garden. Finally, she released the spell and Mono's screaming cut off abruptly as the girl fell to the ground, still twitching feebly.

"Now to tap the power of this place!" Nekozna laughed. The mage returned to the altar with the strange glyphs and swung her hands around her, created a magic circle with strange rune to appear. They glowed an angry red-purple, as she urged them to greater than greater heights and began to chant once again in that low insistent hum.

"No… don't…" Mono groaned. She dragged her body closer to where the mage was wreathed in a circle of fire. "She's coming!" Suddenly she began to thrash again, her body jerking violently once more. A second later, a huge black burst of energy passed from it, hovering over Nekozna who looked up at it with avid, greedy eyes.

"At last…" she smiled.

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When the screaming stopped, everything was still. Then another huge rumble was heard, but not from the Colossus. This one came from above as strange lights played around the hole that lead to the Secret Garden. All the survivors looked up as the entire shrine began to shake. Pieces of stone broke off the walls and smashed to the floor of the great hall, shattering on impact and cracking the tiles of the hall as well As the entire shrine continued to shake, a figure was descending through the hole, a figure wrapped in dark shadows like a cloak. Her face the color of death, Nekozna laughed as the darkness eddied around her as she stood in the floor of the great hall. Everyone stared at her, stunned and terrified, until a single shout broke the silence, Deis swung her blade at Nekozna, with Alessa only a step behind.

Nekozna didn't even bother to smile she ignored both women. Deis stopped, as if she had hit a solid wall then was hurled back halfway across the shrine in a bone-breaking roll across the floor. Alessa stabbed her weapon straight at the mage but it stopped a hand from her face, then it was Alessa's turn to be hurled up and over the mage to crash to the ground next to her sister in a heap.

Striding to the ledge with the cannon on it, she gave it a contemptuous look and faced the oncoming Colossus. The giant beast became enraged at the sight of her. It bellowed and fired its energy weapon directly at her. The bolts of energy exploded just in front of the shadow-wrapped mage, a force strong enough to destroy the cannon. Nekozna proved unharmed however, and still laughing, wrapped herself in the furiously swirling shadows around and floated towards the Colossus.

Outside the afternoon sun dimmed, as if covered by clouds and Nekozna hovered above the head of the Colossus. Raising a shadowy hand, she pointed at a point on the head of the Colossus and spoke a word of command. Though Ryu couldn't understand it, it made him scream and he gripped his ears as jagged knives of pain entered his brain… but that was nothing compared to the Colossus.

The giant beasts jerked once, rearing up to its full height. Tiny black cracks appeared all along its body, slowly at first but spreading quickly. When it was covered in hairline fractures, the Colossus began to crumble away into individual pieces, those pieces turning to dust and blowing away in the breeze. In moments, the giant Colossus that had contested the power of the cannon was gone, not just slain leaving a mound, but as if it had never been.

Nekozna looked at her handiwork for a second before a black portal opened and she appeared in the great hall of the Shrine of Worship again. She emerged near Alessa and Deis, still lying unconscious in a tangled heap on the floor, their blood pooling around them. With another smile, the shadows wrapping around Nekozna vanished, absorbed into her body.

"Come Elarro," she said in her old voice, "We have what we came for." Lord Elarro said nothing, merely stared at her in stunned surprise, one of his short swords dropping from a nerveless hand to clatter on the stone.

"No," he said at last, "I was against this from the start, and look at you. I have never beheld evil, until now."

Nekozna's face twisted into an angry sneer. "You were always too soft, too weak to take what was offered. I have not. Even these two," she gestured at the two young women on the floor, "the daughters of Genria, tried to take revenge on me when it was presented to them. I respect them more than I will ever respect you."

"As if what you respect ever mattered to me," Lord Elarro answered.

"I am going to give you one chance to change your mind when you see the kind of kingdom I will create now that I have this power…" She opened her hand pointing towards him, and another of the black portals appeared around him. When it closed he was gone and Nekozna with him, though her laughter remained, a haunting presence in the Shrine of Worship.

Just at that moment, Ico came pounding up the steps with several of his surviving soldiers, looking bloody and desperate. He looked around, saw the bodies of the fallen Ishoken troops, the sisters lying on the ground and rubble coating the shrine. A stunned look appeared on his face.

"How did the Colossus…?"

"Ah!" a woman's voice said interrupting him. Ryu and Kaarn turned to see a woman, dressed in white, staggering through the arch of the Shrine of Worship. She raised her head for a moment, her black hair spilling around her face and when she spotted Ico, her eyes widened and she collapsed.

"Akami!" Ico shouted running towards the fallen woman as everyone began to shout at once.

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"I never knew I had a twin," Akami said quietly as she looked into the face of the fallen girl.

Ryu stared at them again, still surprised. The sleeping woman Akami was currently tending on the plain south of the Shrine of Worship looked like her in everyway, from the length of the hair, to the tint of her skin. The only difference at all was that Akami's eyes had more of an almond shape to them than the other woman's. Behind her, Ico sat, tiredly against a barrel a cloak pulled up over his head, his sword in his hand and resting point down on the ground. He had been very quiet and moody since they had brought the girl back with them.

Finishing with the woman, Akami went next to Deis and Alessa laid out side by side with bandages around their heads. They were alive, though they had head wounds and Akami was worried about them. Others were tending the wounded from both sides as the battles in the Shrine and against the Colossus had terrified all who survived the initial fight. Kaarn had led a group on the most rested horses to search for more before they disappeared into the corners of the land and they'd been straggling in all evening.

"I… hurt," Deis whispered opening her eyes. Akami went over to her, looking into her face carefully and nodding. Ryu had also approached and was standing over her. Deis's gaze swung towards him. "What happened?"

"We lost," Ryu said bluntly.

"Oh. Oh shit," Deis said and closed her eyes briefly. "Was it bad?"

"Yes," Ryu admitted. "At least a hundred dead on both sides from our fighting and the Colossus."

"What about Nekozna? Did she…?"

"She got away," Ryu grimaced. "You should rest," he said putting a hand on her cheek. "We'll fill you in later, you took a nasty blow."

Deis nodded but murmured, "I couldn't stop her. She betrayed my parents and I couldn't stop her." A tear trickled down her face.

"We will," Ryu told her leaning down and looking into her tried eyes. She nodded and he let Akami tend to her while he walked over to Ico. "Deis woke up," he said. Ico nodded.

"Ryu," the shaman said walking over, "look at the sky." Dark gray clouds were massing to the north of the land, beyond the cliffs he judged. The wind was blowing out of the north, warm, but with the smell of storms. "I think there will be a storm here in the next few days. A bad one, I can feel it."

Ryu nodded. "We'll be able to get under cover before then."

"You do not understand," the shaman persisted. "We never have bad storms here, it is part of the bargain. Rain and lightning certainly, but not enough to destroy crops or start fires in the woods."

"Uh oh, you mean whatever protected this place…?"

"Not entirely," the shaman replied. "Not yet, but it is weakening rapidly."

"Damn," Ryu said wearily.

"We need that woman to wake up," Ico said finally. His voice was rough and cold, and Ryu recalled that he had barely said two words to Akami after he had made sure she was okay and was not the woman in the Shrine.

"Yes," the shaman nodded. "I think she can answer many questions we have. But there is another thing, you need to calm Hejeria down. He wants to slaughter the prisoners."

Ryu sighed and turned to make his way to where the soldiers from Ishoken, the region Lord Elarro ruled, were being kept. Though the numbers kept growing, right now thirty had been captured. They had been stripped of their armor and weapons their hands tied and watched over by a dozen soldiers with bows. Hejeria was standing in front them, arms crossed, scowling. Every so often, his hand would drop down to caress the hilt of his blade.

"Deis woke up," he told Hejeria. When the man would have run off, Ryu placed a hand on his arm. "She's sleeping again, she needs to rest." He looked into the other man's eyes until he subsided. "I don't want to hurt her any more than you do," he said.

"It doesn't matter," Hejeria replied. "Lady Deis must do as she must do." Ryu nodded, it was all he could do. "She spoke of you often," he said at last. "She admired your skill but she despised you for enticing her sister to flee."

"I know," Ryu replied. "I'm not particularly proud of myself for that, but it was either run or die. At least I thought it was at the time. Deis found another way—I'm not sure I could have. I'm glad she survived."

Hejeria gave him a measuring look, then nodded. They stood side by side, watching the prisoners as the sun began to set on the Forbidden Land behind the ravine to the west. The sky showed traces of orange flame when one of the soldiers was sent to tell Ryu and Hejeria that the strange woman that looked like Akami had woken up. When Ryu would have taken Hejeria with him, Hejeria shook his head and said he was going to stay to help to guard the prisoners, at least until Kaarn returned.

A fire was burning brightly when Ryu arrived at the place where the soldier led him. Deis was there of course, looking tired but otherwise all right, her head and arm bandaged tightly. Ico and Akami were also there, Ico still in the dark red cloak he had been wearing since the battle. Alessa he was told, had still not woken. The woman was sipping delicately at a mug of tea but looked up when Ryu sat down between Deis and the shaman.

"Good, the last person we needed is here," the shaman announced. "Now, my lady, I would ask if you could tell us who you are and how you came to be in the Shrine of Worship."

"It's… a dream," the woman replied with a laugh as she gave the shaman a slightly wary look. "I am sorry. I have had a bad experience with a priest that dresses like you. My name is Mono," she continued. "I am… or was… linked to the power of this place. It's fading since that woman stole it, but I remember that much. I have been tied to the Shrine of Worship for a long time."

"Yes," the shaman said. "While we do not enter the shrine until we are ready to name a successor the lore of how we pass it on does say that we should search for a young woman and speak with her in the shrine."

"What goes on up there?" Deis asked. "We need to know what kind of power Nekozna took from you."

"Oh Deis," Akami said. "I have what you gave me, it's still safe." Deis nodded with a grateful smile.

"She will know the secrets of the Shrine but even the shamans cannot know these secrets until they are ready to die," the old man cautioned, shooting an annoyed look at Akami as Mono shook her head.

"Never the less I must tell them before I forget. There are two powers in the Shrine, or rather, two aspects of a whole. One is male, the other female. I was asleep for some time," she paused, troubled at this, as if at a painful member but banished it. "I do not remember much of that time, or before. Due to circumstances I never quite understood, when I woke up the female power entered into my body. Shortly after, the male part was sealed into the structure of the shrine itself, protecting it from the ravages of time. I found that if I stayed in the shrine I would never age, though if I ever went far from it I would grow very weak. I… had a companion at the first. I didn't remember anything from before I woke up, and he could not tell me. He grew restless and I sent him away. For uncounted years I was alone and time lost meaning for me. Then I was not."

"The shamans?" Ryu said with a look at the old man.

"Yes," the shaman replied. "I believe that was the first time when we struck the bargain."

"The bargain," Mono said with a sigh. "They begged me for help though I did not know what I could do. I sensed the strength of their bond with their people. I always hated unnecessary bloodshed, I remember that much. So I struck a bargain with them, in exchange for my help to quiet the natural antagonism of this land and the power to summon Colossi, they would work to improve it living in harmony with it, and do no harm save to those who wished to do harm to them. It was only then that I realized that I _was_ this land, and it could be an extension of my will, an extension of blood, young sprouts and the sky."

"I don't understand," Deis protested. "Mono, I'm sorry but if you're tied to the land, how could Nekozna take the power and leave?"

"I was tied to the land, but the power itself was not," Mono replied. "It had been imprisoned her in the deeps of time, and I knew that it entered my body in hopes of a way out. But I didn't remember anything before waking up here, and so I had no desire to leave, I was at peace. It tried to take me over, but I did not let it and in time I made it conform to my will."

"Does that mean that Nekozna is _not_ the one in charge?" Deis demanded.

"The female aspect of this power this being, has escaped at last in the body of that mage. Because the mage sought it, and because she was powerful she still retains her own mind though it is quickly merging with that of the power. I… do not know what it will do free. It was frustrated badly by being trapped in my body and I think it was weakened because of my battle with the mage. As much as it influences her, I think she influences it."

"Nekozna's influence has never been good," Deis said firmly. Ryu nodded.

"The question remains," Ico said, roughly. "What do we do now? The shaman and I have spoken with Mono. We believe the land will begin to revert, to show the malevolence it showed our ancestors when it first came here. We'll have to flee, but if we leave this place, we'll be running right to the other half of the power only with the mage's will running through it."

"Is there a way to stop this power?" Ryu asked Mono.

Mono shook her head. "I don't know. As far as I understand, it has _never_ been stopped, just confined. That was the nature of Colossi, confining the power. I'm sorry," she said, "I am so tired…"

"Why don't you come with me?" Akami asked, holding out her hand. Mono took it gracefully and the two women, looking so much alike, moved off into the darkness presumably to Akami's tent while the other four remained quiet. After a time, Deis placed her hand on Ryu's and they sat that way.

"I think we have to go after Nekozna," Ryu said at last. Deis nodded slowly squeezing his hand. "We can't let something like that loose in this world, and we need to find a place your people can be safe."

"I had hoped you'd say that," the shaman said. "But I knew I could not ask you to do such a thing."

"I'm coming too," Ico said. "Akami and I have talked it over and we both agree that I need to find that woman."

"I can't ask my soldiers to do this," Deis said, "But I know I have to go. I still haven't gotten my revenge on her for betraying my homeland."

"Knew you'd say that," Alessa said walking in on Kaarn's arm. She looked even more tired than Deis, but sounded very determined. "If my little sister has the guts to go through with something like that, I can't stay behind." Deis's eyes widened, it was the first time she'd ever heard Alessa say anything remotely complimentary to her.

"The problem remains," Kaarn said, "we can't stop her. You saw how much good Alessa and Deis did. None of us is even a remotely good mage and Nekozna would have been a match for one even before she took the power."

"Shaman," Ico said turning to the old man. The shaman sat staring at the ground for a moment then looked up. His eyes were bleak.

"There might be a way," the shaman said, clearly reluctant. "There are inscriptions which mention a sword, an ancient Holy Sword, in conjunction with the mysterious powers of this land. It is said that one such sword was used to place a seal on the shrine. If what Mono has told us is true, then I think it is what bound the male half of the power into the shrine itself. That seal still holds, even now, as long as the shrine stands. If I study these texts, I could make a sword with those powers."

"Perfect," Alessa said nodding.

"There is a problem," the shaman continued.

"What now?" Ryu groaned.

"I am not a forger, I am not conversant with making a physical sword. Also, the inscriptions all say the sword was forged of special metal, a metal that "radiated strength" that made the powers the sword was imbued with exceptional. We have no such things here, that I know."

Deis gasped softly. "I think… it's fate," she said with a glance at Alessa.

"You brought it?" Alessa asked quietly looking at her sister.

"I gave it to Akami before the battle, but I can't abandon it or even leave it behind."

"What are you talking about?" Ico asked curiously.

"The family sword," Alessa answered. "It's made of orichalcum."

"Orichalcum boosts magic and it's extremely rare in the Empire at least. The emperor has given standing orders that any orichalcum is the property of the state. Because I agreed to become an officer for the Empire, I was able to keep the sword," Deis explained.

"What are the chances," Ryu murmured. "That we would come here, bringing Deis and the sword, at the same time as our old 'friend' Nekozna."

"Would you really give it up?" Alessa asked.

"Yes," Deis answered. "I hate Nekozna and she's a huge threat with the power she has now. It'd be worth losing the sword to stop her. What about you, I thought you'd be mad—after all I'm just an 'imperial bitch' right?"

"Ah…" Alessa said turning a little red. "People are more important than principles, I understand that now, Deis."

"Then I think we know what we have to do," Ryu said. One by one, the others around the circle, Kaarn, Alessa, Deis, Ico and the shaman, all nodded. "Then let's start tomorrow morning, I know a bit about forging a sword, I've done my own after all."


	8. Chapter 8

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 8

Even if Ico, Akami and the shaman wanted, they wouldn't have been able to hide the result of the battle—the decimation of the Colossus and the destruction of parts of the shrine. With the prohibition on the Shrine broken the first of many violent storms approaching, they sent messengers to the three settlements and individual holdings: Gather all the food and water then travel to the Shrine of Worship. If getting to the Shrine is impossible, to travel to one of the ruins like the Barbus Ruins, of the Desert Fortress. If things have not calmed after several days, get to the shrine and prepare to flee north into the forest. Akami traveled to village on the western plains, Basran, while Ico traveled to the village of Koromi and Ryu and the Shaman left for Canossa a few days later.

There were worries about the time it would take for messengers to arrive, but Deis offered horses that belonged to soldiers slain or too injured to ride. She also sent one of the healthy soldiers with the messengers to lend weight to the message. None of her men complained. Before Akami left, she urged Ryu to thank Deis while she latter recuperated bed from the head wound next to Alessa. While they rested, both sisters slowly and awkwardly began to talk for the first time in many years.

Hejeria and Kaarn busied themselves regrouping the forces at their command while securing adequate rations in the shrine. Most of the rations came from the stores of the Ishoken soldiers and their stocks combined with the supplies refugees would bring to the shrine promised they could hold out for several weeks.

Before he left with the shaman, Ryu spent a great deal of time studying the sword Deis brought with her. Kaarn and Alessa were both aristocrats, but Ryu had been an apprentice blacksmith. He had been unable to resist seeing the world, and after completing his mastery piece, the sword he now wielded, he set out on his journey.

Three days after the battle, the storm Ryu observed in the north reached the Forbidden Lands. The lookouts in the northern desert reported that the lake in the Pit of Celosia rose several inches while the oasis nearby had overflowed its banks. The survivors of the battle who remained after the messengers departed took refuge in the great hall of the Shrine. Due to the destruction wrought by the battle, the holes in ceiling were partially blocked and with careful management there was easily enough room for everyone. The empty pool in the spiral staircase room started to fill again and there was some discussion of moving higher in the shrine into what was left of the Secret Garden, but nothing was decided. After the storm, Kaarn led a party north out of the Forbidden Lands with one of Elarro's soldiers to guide them to Ishoken Castle in search of the mage.

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Lying still was easy for Kaarn, but the bushes and shrubs along the forest floor constantly pricked him through his clothing so it took extra effort to keep from shifting. Whispering in the ear of the soldier from Ishoken he said, "Are you sure that's it? It looks deserted."

The man nodded but looked troubled. "It's not supposed to look like that, there aren't any petitioners or merchants passing in and out. We're the last supply port this side of the cape."

"It _must_ be the mage." Kaarn gestured and two soldiers, one an imperial, the other one of Ico's, slid over to him across the verdant hillside. "We need to get closer, cover me."

Kaarn slid forward farther down the hill until he was hidden in the last greenery before the stone plaza leading to the bridge connecting the castle with the main land. A line of strange statues, square green stone carved with what looked like some sort of horned animal were clustered around the gate to the bridge.

Ishoken Castle was truly a sight to behold. Huge and massively built, it looked like it was hacked out of the rock. Beyond the bridge, a gigantic gate many times the height of a man was covered in strange traceries and flowing lines. On either side of the gate, the curtain wall stretched across the water becoming a bridge to the islands on either side of the main gate. Two huge blocky towers stood like massive sentinels on those islands, with a grassy space beyond them on which an odd looking structure was built, a strange metallic circle that reared half the height of the towers themselves.

Behind the gates, the bailey of the castle rose in blocky majesty with a scattering of circular domes higher up. In the distance, a single tower reared above the rest of the main structure next a structure with an arched roof and what looked like wooden scaffolds lay off to the eastern side of the main structure. Behind even that, was the inner keep on an island farthest out to sea with the most massive tower Kaarn had ever seen. It was a huge, blank cylinder with a squared off extension coming off the rear. If he hadn't seen the Shrine of Worship in the Forbidden Lands, he would have been stunned at the castle.

While Kaarn studied the empty plaza, a wind rose from the castle, howling fiercely and coolly damp not from the ocean, but with the scent of the grave. Kaarn saw patches of shadow in the window, flashing white for a moment before collapsing back into darkness. The shadowy glow appeared once, twice again and again.

"She _is_ there," he said to himself. Making his way up the hill to the others, he ordered them to make for the Forbidden land as fast as they could.

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Lord Elarro of Ishoken stood numbly as the woman in the central hall surveyed her handy work. The mage lifted her face to the ceiling of the massive hall while around her dozens of bodies lay sprawled in poses of agony and fear. Most of the bodies were of soldiers, those who were left out of the expedition to the Forbidden Lands but some were smaller and slighter, the corpses of women and children who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A few had decided to fight one last time to try and save themselves.

"And so you see, Elarro," the mage whispered still not looking at him. "Nothing you do can stop me, you have not the will and you have not the power."

It had been pathetically easy for her. She had toyed with the soldiers at first, allowing the arrows and swords to nearly strike her. Now with the shadowy bolts a memory seared across his eyes, and the little threat there was gone, Nekozna ruled over a castle of the dead. The old man, looking exhausted now, only hoped that the rest of his people managed to flee to safety though how long that would last was problematic. Nekozna had never been one to think small.

Shame filled the old man, shame at not stopping the mage before the expedition, shame at not realizing the madness that gripped her from the first, and shame that he had urged his people to one last attack, hoping that numbers could succeed where skill had failed. Now he was undone, and he had lost not only the legacy of his family but had led the people to their death. Looking at the mage, he knew what he had to do.

Gripping his short sword resolutely, and raising it to his throat, Lord Elarro drew it across it as quickly as he could, hoping it was a deep enough cut. Strangely, the pain seemed far away. As his vision began to dim and the blood poured down his body, his last sight was the mage approaching him, flowing across the ground wrapped in shadows.

Standing over Lord Elarro's body, the mage closed her eyes as a shadowy mist extended from her body filling the great chamber. It swirled and eddied in response to a wind that wasn't, congregating in dark clusters over the bodies in the room. The shadows slowly descended onto the corpses, covering them in darkness. A moment later, dozens upon dozens of shadowy human figures rose up in the throne room genuflecting before her.

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"You call this thing a cannon?" Alessa asked her sister. Some six days after the battle, the sisters were sitting on the ledge of the Shrine not far from the twisted wreckage of iron, copper and stone that had been the Ishoken's cannon. As soon as she was able to move, Deis began a study of it. Since the wreckage was too heavy to be moved by any methods they could improvise, she had ample time.

"That's what the prisoners say. Rumors before I left hinted the Empire was focusing on developing a better means of delivering mage energies on the battlefield than catapults and trebuchets."

"Those were a nasty surprise to us back in Genria. Why would they need worse?"

"You saw," Deis answered. "They're faster and hit harder than anything we've got. By what the prisoners say, they're pretty rare and this one was actually Nekozna's. That she was willing to risk it…"

"We'll get her," Alessa looking into her sister's eyes. Deis nodded coolly, but both sisters reached out to each other as a small earthquake made itself felt.

"I don't like this," Deis said when it was over. "They've been happening more and more often. I wonder if it's building up to something."

"When the shaman said the land would turn hostile I didn't know what to expect but—take out your telescope, is that Ryu?" Alessa interrupted herself pointing to a dark blot on the horizon.

"Where?" Deis asked pulling out the small brass tube. Peering through it, she focused on the lead figure and it was indeed the black-haired man. Deis smiled a little bit when she saw him though only Alessa noticed giving her sister a measuring look Deis never saw.

"He brought the villagers," Alessa observed.

"It certainly looks that way, there have to be more than 200 people! I hope we can fit them all! Though I suppose we can fit some in the ruins south of the temple…"

"Two hundred? That's it? Canossa is larger than that."

"Let's go down and meet him," Deis said carefully stowing her viewer on her belt. When the sisters made it down the stairs, several imperial troops were already there. Ryu and the shaman both rode up on his horse, the later carrying a bundle of papers and a bag of some sort of herbs judging by the odor. Behind them, came something close to three hundred people mostly women and children, though there were a number of men, most dragging small carts piled high with food and clothing. A few of the larger carts also held tools of various sorts drawn by teams of men.

"Ryu!" Deis shouted.

The black haired man leaned down to speak to one of the women who nodded and made her way back among the crowd while he jumped down from Nico and tossed his reins to one of the younger children. Only then did he wave to Deis and Alessa as he headed towards them, gently pushing aside several people. Behind him, the soldiers had moved in to take charge of the milling populace though in truth they needed very little help as the villagers from Canossa seemed fairly organized.

"Princesses," he grinned making a bow. Deis laughed while Alessa rolled her eyes.

"Why did only half the village come with you?" Alessa asked.

"A few didn't want to. We had to abandon them," Ryu frowned. "But a group half as large as this one headed south to ruins because they were closer. They're deep in the mountain, and sturdy so I don't think an earthquake would collapse them unless it was powerful enough to collapse the shrine."

"You brought half the smithy with you," Deis observed with a glance at several of the carts. Ryu nodded.

"Sharp eyes. I discussed it with the smith in the village. He was planning on heading to the southern ruins but said I could use his equipment considering all we'd done for them. Still have the sword?"

Deis nodded, "Whenever you and the shaman are ready."

Despite their best efforts, it took the rest of the day to settle the refugees from Canossa village in and around the walls of the shrine. A little surprisingly, Alessa proved invaluable in organizing them and was currently making sure everyone was settled. With some unexpected time, Ryu and Deis walked to the northern side of the shrine and sat down next to each other against the base of one of the giant pillars that supported the door at the top of the spiral staircase room.

"The people from the other two towns will be arriving soon," Ryu said as they looked at yet another knot of storm clouds massing in the northwest.

"Alessa was always better at organizing than I was," Deis admitted ruefully. "After you left I had to learn but… I'm sure she'll be able to get things settled in. Born leader."

"Don't sell yourself short," Ryu said amused.

"I don't. I know what I did for Genria after the Empire finished rolling over us. I was so angry at her for abandoning us—me."

"I wish you could have come with us."

"I was jealous that she made that choice when I stayed behind. That's how I managed to get the job tracking you, I would never have driven myself that hard without a reason."

"It's good that you came," Ryu answered at last.

"Really? Because I think so to," Deis agreed with a tired smile as the stars shone down on the Forbidden Land.

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The next morning Deis gave the sword she kept in a bundle on her saddle, the sword of her family and dating back centuries, to Ryu. Together with Mono and the shaman, they climbed past the shattered door and into the remains of the Secret Garden. Mono sighed as she surveyed the damage the battle with the mage had caused. Most of the trees in the garden were charred flinders, and huge piles of crumbled stone and murky water covered large parts of the shrine.

In the great hall of the shrine, it was up to the sisters to deal with the refugees and find places to put the people arriving soon. When the lookout on the ledge spotted a group approaching over the western plains, it was with anticipation and some apprehension that Alessa and Deis rode out to meet them as they crossed the bridge. Deis noticed some sort of minor aqueduct far below them blocking the fresh water of Half-Moon Canyon from spilling out into the main bay.

Unlike the Canossans, the people from Basran had nowhere else to flee that was closer than the shrine. Living on the shores of the large lake nestled in the plains their principle food were the fish that swam in it. Since they could not bring the lake with them, they were depending on the stores gathered at the shrine more than the others.

Akami mentioned this to Alessa while Deis rode to the rear of the column making sure everyone stayed in line and getting as accurate a count of the numbers as possible. It amounted to two hundred more people to house in and around the shrine. Along the way, Akami discussed the viability of using the huge cave along the beach of Half-Moon Canyon at least during an emergency. While it was near the beach, it was also huge.

Approaching the shrine, Alessa saw flashes of light from the level of the Secret Garden both cool green and harsh white. She shot a worried look at Akami riding more confidently than she had a week ago who returned it but shrugged saying that there was nothing to be done about it now.

In the confusion of finding places for the refugees along the walls of the shrine, Alessa barely noticed the passage of time. She might not have noticed at all but for Deis who left most of the work to Alessa and spent the day pacing the lookout ledge of the shrine muttering to herself. As the sun descended in a red angry ball, Alessa went over to wait by Deis, leaning casually against one of the pillars near the altar.

"Calm down," Alessa, finally snapped. "They'll be back when its done."

"I know, but I can't help it," Deis replied glancing once more above her. A few more minutes passed. "What are they be _doing_ up there!" Deis started pacing again.

If the situation had not been quite so dire, Alessa would have been amused to see Deis coming apart at the seams. As it was, she straightened up from her position against the column and put an arm around her distracted little sister who looked at her for a moment then hung her head.

"Sorry," she muttered. Whatever Alessa would have said to comfort her sister was lost in another commotion down the stairs in the makeshift camp of tents and lean-tos that was forming south of the shrine. Both sisters looked at each other.

"Kaarn!" they said, and so it proved to be.

The tall black man was tired, and judging by the condition of Wander, he had pushed hard to return from tracking down the renegade mage. He was speaking to one of Deis's soldiers and Akami but gave them a nod when the sisters approached.

"In short, we've found her. Like we thought, she's in Ishoken Castle. We watched for a while but it didn't look like she was going anywhere."

"So we have time to strike at her," Akami murmured.

"As far as I can tell. Nice camp you've built by the way, hundreds of people in and around this place but it's running pretty smoothly."

"You can thank Alessa for that," Akami said inclining her head to the princess. "But we still have the people from the last village my husband visited. I don't know what's taking him so long," she sighed. "It was the closest."

"Let's go up into the shrine," Deis suggested. Alessa shot her a look but she ignored it and the four of them made their into the great hall. Several workers, both soldiers and civilians were busy removing the stone and dirt in the alcoves of the shrine to give a little more extra room in case the people all had to be inside at once. In one, wooden scaffolds were being affixed to the stone of the alcoves to allow for a second level to fit a few more. They went into the spiral staircase room where Kaarn spared a glance for the small pool of water that was slowly filling up and another for the hole in the ceiling.

"It's quiet," Alessa observed. "That's new…"

"What's going--?" Kaarn began.

"Ryu, Mono and the shaman went up there this morning with the sword," Deis explained. "There's been howling wind up there all day and flashes of light in the afternoon."

"Is it… over?" Akami wondered. They stood there until Deis with a muttered oath started for the spiral staircase. Before she got there, her sister grabbed her arm tightly enough to leave a mark and pointed to the overhang at the very top of the stairs. Looking up, Deis saw two figures looking down at them with the taller one holding a glowing sword.

They waited an eternity as the two descended the stairs, the female figure leaning on the male at times for support. Ryu leaned close to Mono for a moment, whispering something but the girl shook her head and he subsided. The others waited at the base of the stairs though Deis in particular seemed impatient.

"It's done," he said at last, looking at them with bleak eyes before raising the sword.

The sword that belonged to Deis (and Alessa) had a blade over a meter long, with a short point so the blade curved over at the end more like a ceremonial weapon than a sword. The guards on the hilt were shaped in curves one pointing up, one down reminiscent of horns. The most astonishing thing about the blade was that along the length of it, several runes were inscribed, glowing with a white-green light that shimmered across the sword. Around the edge of the blade was an aura of the same shimmering light that drew the eye and confused it at all once.

"That's… not the one I gave you," Deis said. "It's so different."

"Can it really stop the mage?" Akami wanted to know.

Mono looked over at her near twin and nodded. "Thanks to certain techniques by the shaman, I was able to remember several things about how the original sword worked. We were able to impart that knowledge into the making. I'll tell you now, this blade has far more orichalcum in it than the original and so it's weaker as a sword, but ever more effective against the powers the mage has gained."

"Where is the shaman…" Akami began but trailed off at the look on Ryu and Mono's faces. "No!" she breathed.

"It was… necessary," Mono said, as she hung her head, letting her raven hair cover her face. "We could not perform some of the rites, we didn't have the resources, or the time and then… the shaman sacrificed himself. The only way to obtain the power needed."

"_We_ needed him! Now more than ever, without him—and you took him away!" Akami's devastated face changed to anger in an instant.

Before anyone could stop her, she raised an arm and slapped Mono as hard as she could. The other woman staggered, almost falling to her knees while Deis and Alessa got between Akami and Mono. Even in the near-darkness of the room, the angry blotch on Mono's cheek could be seen, along with a trio of shallow slashes. After a moment, the anger in Akami faded and the tears started to come. While Kaarn and Alessa took Akami away, sobbing quietly, Deis and Ryu helped Mono into the great hall of the shrine. They sat down against the wall leading to the spiral staircase room and Mono closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Deis whispered. "I… it must have been hard for you both."

"Deis, just let us rest," Ryu said. After a long look at him, she nodded and left.

When she returned, Mono was leaning against Ryu's shoulder in a deep sleep. Deis dumped the blanket she had brought on him with an annoyed sound, earning herself a lifted eyebrow from Ryu. Though he could barely see it in the darkness she turned a little red when she realized he had heard her. Wordlessly, she left.

--------------------------------------------------

The next morning the storm was pounding the northern desert while heading inexorably south to the shrine. Even from that distance they could see the near-blackness of the clouds. When Ryu woke, he felt stiff and sore all over from lying on the stone, despite the blanket. Mono was still asleep beside him, her body warm against his. It looked like she hadn't moved all night. He gently stood up and placed her on the blanket while he went in search of his friends.

He found Deis sitting against the pillars on the ledge looking out at the camp that was already starting its day. Most of the people were already gathering some key belongings and folding down tents to bring into the shrine in anticipation of the storm. "Nice outfit," Ryu commented coming up behind her.

"Thanks," she replied. He hadn't noticed it before, in place of her imperial uniform, she was wearing some loose black trousers and a divided russet tunic longer in the back than the front. Underneath was a tightly woven long-sleeved shirt that hugged her upper body keeping her warm. "Can't wear my uniform if I'm going out to freelance… Ico came back last night.".

"Really?"

"He only brought a few with him from the other village, most of them opted to ride it out. I can't blame them. From what I understand they have a strong settlement in the ruins so they might survive."

"How did he react…"

"He was as angry as Akami. But something else… he was, I dunno, scared."

"That's understandable."

"No. Not because his people lost their shaman. It's a personal fear. I don't know why but that's what it sounded like. After he talked to Kaarn about what he'd learned, he and Akami went off somewhere."

"You think we'll be leaving soon?"

"Probably."

--------------------------------------------------

Ico remained busy that day, but announced they were leaving as soon as the storm cleared up. Whenever Ryu saw him, he was still wearing his hooded cloak, and he kept to himself more than usual. Puzzled, Ryu asked Alessa to press Akami on the matter but even his wife professed not to notice anything different. When the rain finally stopped, Ico was almost rude in his urgings to mount up and head for the entrance to the Forbidden Land before the next storm. Hejeria went with them, but only as far as the cliffs. He was going to wait with the soldiers for Deis to return. Akami stayed behind, having said her goodbyes to her husband in private and taking care of the refugees.

"I almost hate to leave this place, even if we are trying to save it," Alessa commented as they struggled up the narrow switch back trail to the entrance. Wander being the steadiest of them, Kaarn led the way followed by Mono and Alessa, then Ryu and Deis with Ico bringing up the rear. Hejeria waited at the base of the cliffs for them, a dark blot of color in the sandy waste.

"I don't," Ryu replied extending a hand to help Deis up some slippery rocks and she thanked him.

"Less talking more climbing," Kaarn threw back over his shoulder. "I don't want to get caught in another storm."

They finally reached the cliffs in the late evening and stood for a few minutes to catching their breath. Before them stood the long passageway that the travelers had used to enter the Forbidden Lands mere weeks ago. That time seemed like a dream to them now. Ryu expected Ico to look back but he was the first to start down the passage. Clutching his hooded cloak to his body against the strong winds in the passage, he motioned the others to follow When they finally emerged from the passageway back into the forests around the cliffs, and the tumbled rocks that hid the passage, Ico mounted up and actually rode a few steps ahead of the rest of the group. Frustrated, Ryu finally turned on Ico.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting strange ever since the battle!"

"He's right, you've been so distant. That's not like you. Why?" Alessa demanded.

Ico stopped, looking hard at the ground then turned back to them, and even partially hidden by the hood, his face was a picture of rage.

"You want to know why I've been upset? Fine! It's because of this," Ico snarled, throwing back his hood and the others, even Mono, gasped in astonishment. For a frozen instant, they could only stare at Ico.

Curling from his head, a pair of ivory horns.


	9. Chapter 9

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 9

For a second, no one moved, then everyone moved at once to make up for lost time.

Ryu and Kaarn both were so startled their horses picked up on it and danced back a bit in confusion forcing them to react again to quiet the animals as Ryu cursed more vividly than the confusion of the horses could account for. Deis made a sigh using the fingers of her left hand that Alessa recognized as something to ward off evil. Mono's reaction was something only Alessa noted. The woman went pale, visible even under her gold-tinted complexion and hung her head letting her hair fall over her face, gripping the reins of her horse more tightly.

Alessa herself felt only a depressing emptiness. Like something she had been dreading was here though she had not known. All she could think about was what Akami had told her before she left, in private. She suddenly felt sick but desperately tried to force hreself to stay calm. Antagonizing Ico was the last thing she wanted to do.

Ico for his part, barked a laugh that had a touch of wildness to it and his mouth twisted in a mixture of anger, contempt and fear.

"That's why you kept your hood on," she said at last.

"How very calm of you," he answered.

"Ico, don't. We just--"

"I don't want to hear it Alessa," he said through clenched teeth. "My head already hurts enough as it is."

"How could they... they grow... in just a few days? What the hell are you?" Deis demanded.

Alessa bit back an angry retort. The sister she had gotten to know over the last few days was very different from the little tag-along pest that she had tried to escape as a girl, but one thing hadn't changed in that Deis was still a step or two slow to empathize with people or actually think about the personal impact her words would have on someone else. Not that Alessa herself was an exemplar of emotional understanding, but she could recognize a delicate emotional situation when it was thrown in her face like this. Ryu saved the moment by gripping Deis's arm so hard she turned to him breaking off anything else she would have said to Ico.

"It doesn't change anything," Ryu began.

"Yet here you stand in looking at me," Ico began but Kaarn cut him off.

"He doesn't mean you! We still need to get to the castle. Or have you decided that your people mean nothing to you. Just because you have horns you've decided you don't care anymore, is that it?"

Ico stared at him clenching and un-clenching his fist and Alessa got the sense that he was on the edge of sudden violence. Deis was still talking angrily with Ryu so neither of them spotted it, but Kaarn suddenly went very still and Alessa knew from her own experience that if Ico did try anything Kaarn would make him very sorry very fast. But she didn't know what to do, what do say to defuse the situation. But maybe that was the way to get through to Ico, remind him of why they were going to the castle anyway. Taking a breath she plunged in.

"Then why go with us at all? You can just leave and go your own way, be by yourself and no one has to see you. We'll think of something to tell your wife when we come back, because she'd never accept the truth. Your husband grew horns and ran away. That will go over very well I imagine—"

"Stop it!" Mono shrieked. "Just stop!"

Even Ico turned to look at her. Mono's hands were pressed tightly against the sides of her heads as if she had a headache of her own.

"Mono—" Alessa began.

"No!" the woman shouted. "That woman, that mage is still poisoning the land with the Power. I feel it. I can't stop to take blame no matter how much I deserve it. I don't care, I don't care if I go alone!"

"You are... surprisingly correct," Ico admitted. "But I don't wish to have you looking at me like that."

"The only thing we can do is move on," Ryu said through gritted teeth.. "If it's what you want ride behind us but stay within ear shot."

"Hey--" Deis began.

"Shut up!" Ryu snarled. "I don't want to hear another word about this, not another damn word until we stop tonight!"

He kicked his mount into a walk and the rest of them had no choice, they had to follow or be left behind. In the end, Alessa and Mono rode behind Ryu and Deis who were still talking animatedly and with Kaarn bringing up the rear and Ico a short space behind him.

As evening fell and they sat around a small campfire in a forest clearing they could hear the distant thunder to the south from the storms rumbling over the Forbidden Lands. The air itself felt warm and heavy--charged with angry energy just waiting to be unleashed. None of them felt like cooking so they made a small meal of the rations they had packed, mostly dried fruits and smoked bird meat from the pigeons and doves of the Forbidden Lands with some of the grasses. Ryu and Deis sat together talking quietly about their approach to castle, their argument of the afternoon only a memory while Kaarn checked on the horses to make sure the hobbles were properly set and they had enough grass not to run off looking for more. That left Alessa to try and coax Mono into some sort of proactive movement. Ico's revelation had apparently shaken the girl badly as she had said barely a word after her outburst. Since throwing back his hood, Ico was even more moody and quiet than he had been the last few days and there was a palpable bubble around him that Alessa felt uncomfortable breaching.

Finally, Mono nodded to Alessa and when Kaarn returned, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Ico I wish none of this had ever happened," she began heavily. "That you have horns is my fault."

"I don't see how it could be," Alessa replied. "Not from what you've told me…"

"Thank you Alessa, but it is," Mono said firmly, her shinning black head bent. The firelight played off her glossy black hair making her somehow more luminous and reason enough for all eyes to be on her. "Ico, please explain how the horns are viewed, I think it would make things clearer from you." When he didn't respond Mono sighed and repeated, "Ico… please. It's my fault but please."

"Very well. In my culture, the presence of horns are more than just bad luck," Ico said in a tone more of annoyance than anything else. "They are a sign of ill omen in the strongest meaning of the term. We have been told since the beginning of our settlements to watch for the sign of horns and be wary lest we welcome destruction into our homes."

"What your people never knew was why you were told to watch for the horns. It has to do with how I came to be in the Shrine and embodied the spirit of that place."

"Have you remembered then?" Kaarn wondered.

"No," Mono replied. "Not… entirely. I was still mostly in the human world when it happened but there was a child. There was something about him, something like the power that was changing me. I cared for him like a mother but like all children he wished to leave when he grew older. I knew that he would be hated in the world outside though I remembered and still remember little of it. When he left that place and entered into the outside world, I used the power of that place."

"What could you have done?" Deis asked curiously. "I thought your powers were bounded by the cliffs, tied to the land."

"It was difficult," Mono agreed. "It was only afterwards I became extremely detached from the human world. When I used the power so much of it passed through me that it changed me into something with a step in that supernatural realm. I felt so distant, I stopped being entirely human, I couldn't quite seem to understand people anymore."

"So what did you do?" Deis persisted. "How did you use that power?"

"There were only the two of us. He never knew that things would be different beyond the cliffs. When he reached the gap in the cliff face, I stretched to the limit of my power and caused him to fall into a deep sleep. I am always stronger in dreams and I could touch someone more deeply that way. I used my power one last time to shield and seal the power of the horns away in him. Unfortunately the nature of the horns was not what I had believed. I proved unable to remove them without killing him—and so the horns passed on to his descendants, which eventually became Ico's people. When the power was torn away from me, the seal was broken."

"Why don't half the people of the Forbidden Lands have horns then?" Alessa asked the dark-haired girl. "After so many years..."

"I don't know..." Mono admitted. "Maybe its diffused after so many years."

"But doesn't that mean that with careful planning you could eventually submerge the horns?" Deis countered.

"Selective breeding?" Kaarn said disgusted.

"I didn't mean it that way," she replied annoyed.

"I say again, I don't know. I do not know how to determine the strength of the horns."

"It's not really important for our purposes anyway, is it?" Ryu asked, speaking for the first time. He was casually cleaning his sword and hadn't even looked up when he spoke.

"No," Mono agreed. "If I can regain the power from that woman and return to the Forbidden Lands I should be able to reseal the horns."

"But the horns are just symbols aren't they?" Kaarn asked. "It doesn't mean anything by itself."

"You know as well as I do how little it takes to mark someone out," Alessa returned. "I always felt like a stranger because no one else in my family was as pale or had red hair. Only looking at our bodies, would you say Deis and I are sisters? I just looked out of place—can you imagine how most people would react?"

"Precisely," Ico said bitterly. "Even Akami... I know I would see it in her eyes."

"Oh no," Alessa breathed. "You'll be able to home again. She wouldn't turn away from you Ico, she loves you!"

Ico said nothing but he pointedly looked away from her and Alessa sighed in spite of herself. She was surprised when Deis reached over and squeezed her hand and she looked at her sister for a moment buoyed by the confidence in her eyes.

"We won't fail," Ryu snarled into the silence. "Ico listen to me, Alessa, Kaarn and I all know what it's like not to have a home to go back to. We're not going to abandon you, and we're going to make sure you come home with your head held high."

"I won't either," Deis said, backing him up. "You fought beside me and proved yourself to me. I may open my mouth at the wrong time, but I don't see any reason to leave."

"Thank you," Ico said at last, and finally there was a little of his old warmth in his voice. "I kept this from Akami. I couldn't bring myself to tell her—but she nearly found out despite my efforts. Even if she did still love me, she'd be afraid of me now, afraid of what could happen. The others surely wouldn't understand, I know what my reaction would be and to see my own wife recoil... To get that understanding from you people, people I have only just met when my own people would hesitate. It's good to know I'm not alone."

"Never," Mono said passionately. "I know what it is like to be alone and I would not wish that on anyone, especially you."

------------------------------

Several days passed as the travelers continued on to Ishoken castle along the western coast. After that first night Ico opened up more to the others, regaining some of his old spirit though there was an undercurrent of depression and tension running through him and he kept to himself. Strangely enough, it was Alessa who felt most alone during the early part of the journey as Ryu and Deis kept each other company, talking in low quiet voices and Kaarn focused on leading the party. She felt unaccountably left out and so more out of desperation than anything else she began to talking to Mono.

At first the girl who looked so like Akami barely responded. While she didn't want anyone else to be alone, Mono couldn't help but feeling that she deserved to be alone for her failure against Nekozna. At first, Alessa talked at her about inconsequential things, the weather, the forest around her, but eventually found herself telling Mono about the circumstances that led to her separation from her homeland and her family and it was this that made inroads with Mono.

"…so we've run until we can't run anymore," she finished.

"It sounds difficult to live that way," the dark haired girl replied.

"It's not easy I suppose but we managed. I surprised myself with my fighting ability and the three of us could get by. Still there were a few times that I thought it was all over for us. Ryu and Kaarn are like my family sometimes."

"But now your sister is here."

"My real family. I'm grateful in a way," she laughed. "Deis and I finally got a chance to talk and we fought side by side. I saw that my pedantic little sister could improvise and relax enough to gain the trust of her people and Deis saw her weak, selfish older sister could actually fight on a battlefield for someone else. It took being separated from each other for years for us to look at each as people and not as royal sisters. I think I understand why she didn't come with us when we had the chance. She couldn't bear to abandon the people our family had ruled over for generations and saw my leaving as a betrayal. I couldn't bear to rule over them under an Empire whose philosophy is crushing people who get in its way—if I did _I _would be the one betraying them, their trust in _me_."

"You have thought about this then."

"I didn't think about much else after we fled. We were so wrong," Alessa laughed almost bitterly. "My father thought if we bloodied them up some we could force them to the table, that we could make it too costly for them to continue the war. He said everyone has neighbors they don't trust but he was wrong. There _are_ no nations across the ocean. Only the Empire. I can't even imagine that.

"That's why Nekozna came. There was another kingdom—larger than ours—and she was sent to gather information on how to stop the invasion. But she betrayed us to the Empire to increase her own power. She found out the hard way that no one trusts a traitor. The Empire used her services then gave her a choice: leave or die. That's why she came to the Forbidden Lands, she wanted the power in the Shrine. So it's all connected. Us, Deis, Nekozna, the Empire."

It was only later that Alessa realized that Mono had subtly guided their conversations, letting Alessa talk herself out about her theories, her fears and her confused emotions regarding her sister. It was only after Alessa had spoken that Mono volunteered anything about herself. Discussing both the strange time she spent as a sort of half-spirit tied to the land and the distant memories she was still struggling to recover. She also confided in Alessa the plan she had formulated to deal with Nekozna and contain the power away from the Forbidden Lands.

The plan, formed after long discussions about Ishoken Castle's architecture with Kaarn and to be finalized once Mono saw it for herself, was comparatively simple. Ishoken castle had two major towers a central hall area, and finally one enormous tower located on an island in the sea located at the rear of the castle. Mono would tie the seal into the castle itself, anchoring the spell in the three towers would provide the strongest construct for her to contain and seize the power. Mono hoped to return to the Shrine of Worship after regaining the power but she also confided to Alessa that she was also considering that she would have to remain within the seal. Alessa dismissed that, but Mono remained silent in the face of the redhead's protests and patiently explained that she had held a measure of control over the power when she was anchored in the shrine. However then the power had grown inside her from a tiny seed, now she would be taking it on full force combined with all the ambition and selfish intent that Nekozna brought to it resulting in her calm assessment that she might not even be able to make it as far as the Forbidden Lands before the power overwhelmed her. Her memories of gaining the power in the first place were still as clouded as ever but she knew it would not be a simple matter.

The forest around them was quiet, like it was waiting with none of the usual animal noises that had been prevalent in the forbidden lands. It hadn't been that way at the beginning of their journey, but as they drew closer to the castle the stillness grew and not only in the woods, but the sky. At one point they crested a hill in the woods that allowed them to look out over the forest back the way they'd come. In the direction of the Forbidden Lands, they could see a dark smear of clouds and faint flickers of light that were almost surely lightning bolts.

"It's getting worse," Alessa whispered. "The shaman said it would. I hope the Shrine stands up to it."

"Look away," Deis replied. "The only thing we can do is push on. Being distracted and worried for them won't help us at the castle."

Though they were following the track that the soldiers had taken to reach the Forbidden Land, the path was still covered in heavy undergrowth and progress was slow. At times they had to dismount and lead their horses through the forest. After several days they were all cut and scratched from branches and thickets they had to navigate. Still, after a week and far sooner than Alessa had really hoped for the five of them finally arrived at Ishoken Castle.

The first thing Alessa noticed about the castle was the tremendous causeway that spanned the gap between it and the mainland. The castle itself was built on a series of four massive islands, built more like thick pillars of rock thrusting up out of the ocean and flattened out by countless hours of labor with the castle itself shaped vaguely like a T with the narrow end pointing out towards the ocean. Two squat towers were built on the ends of the T, connected to the central island by long stone bridges that were sculpted to look more like the crenelations of a castle wall. The main keep itself was built on the large central island with a massive gate covered in bronze work and carved with abstract swirls and lines at the end of the causeway blocking the way in... except they were wide open, and you could see a courtyard with several pillars leading into the main castle. Beyond the main keep was an inner keep in the form of an enormous tower on the island farthest from the mainland connected to the main keep via a stone bridge. From directly in front the inner keep looked like only another tower, but from a distance along the coast it was obvious that it was on an island that rose much lower from the waterline and was built much taller to be of a level with the rest of the structure. Ishoken Castle was imposing to say the least, even to Deis who had seen some smaller versions of Imperial architecture.

"That place looks like it could hold out forever," Ryu said where he was crouched next to Alessa's sister with a telescope to his eye.

"If you don't have the ships for a blockade forget about a siege," Deis agreed. "With the right resources it makes an excellent place to control the entire region. If the Empire ever gets down here they'll use this as their base without a doubt."

"You mean you'll recommend it to them," Ryu said tonelessly.

"That's exactly what I mean," Deis nodded.

"Didn't know you were a True Believer."

"Shut up, you really don't know as much as you think you do. How high do you think the cliffs are--?"

"Pretty high, at least as high as the cliffs in the Forbidden lands, maybe as high as the Shrine itself. Hard to say, though."

"The Shrine's a good measure," Deis agreed. "I can't imagine how the shrine got built though, the castle's impressive but you know people made it. Speaking of which, I don't see anyone on the walls. Do you?"

"No. No activity at all except the windmill. The gate's wide open but there's no one in the courtyards either. Wait... Deis take a look at the base of the small island." He handed the telescope back to Deis and she inched a little more forward over the edge of the cliff, causing some gravel and dust to tumble down the sea-cliffs. Ryu reached out and took a firm hold on her belt just in case. He felt her tense for a second, but then she relaxed and continued to scan the castle.

"What do you... that's a cave isn't it?"

"That's what I thought," Ryu answered. "Look at the mouth of the cave, it looks like there are pillars or something carved around it. That might mean it's another entrance."

"Or it might just be a shrine that's not connected to the rest of the castle. I wish I could think of some way to investigate it."

"We still might need to try it. Sometimes there are no good options."

"I know that," she answered softly.

"Let's get back, I think we've seen all we can for now."

Ryu and Deis carefully made their way back along the cliffs until they were once more in the forest and hidden from any observers on the castle. The others were there in the camp they had made when they reached the castle the day before. Kaarn looked up when they reached it nodding to them while Alessa and Mono stopped talking and turned to them. Ico had already focused his attention on them. Deis and Ryu exchanged a look and he shrugged. Deis took a deep breath.

"Unless we use a boat the only way in is through the causeway," she said. "If we had the time I'd be willing to make a boat, but from what I understand we don't have the time that would take."

"It's your mouth that gets you in trouble not your mind," Alessa observed. "I know you too well to think we're going to charge on in."

"Naturally," Deis nodded to her sister. "We've been watching the place for two days and haven't seen a light in any of the windows yet. There's been no movement at all in fact, not that we've seen. They might be hiding but I don't know why. They might assume we'd chase after them, but I don't see how that would make them make the place look deserted."

"Agreed," Kaarn said. "What's the point of opening the gates? They know we have to come to them regardless."

"This is Ishoken Castle, none of us know anything about the lord here, or why he'd do such a thing," Ryu admitted. "But I don't think this is his doing. He led his troops, he fought us and he's good, a warrior. As a warrior, this is something that goes against the kind of behavior he's trained himself in. Besides if this is his castle, he doesn't want us doing damage to it."

"The mage? You think it's her doing?" Deis said suddenly.

"Yes," Mono said speaking for the first time. "I can feel it, the power is soaking the entire castle and it's bleeding into the surrounding ground. I can feel it faintly here, but it has gotten stronger, even after one day. It is forming a web."

"She's tying it into the local matrix?" Alessa blinked.

"It's seeping through the land," Mono continued. "It's being controlled by her will, she is imposing it on nature, trying to make the land as much a part of her as the Forbidden Lands were tied into me when I held the power. There it is confined, but with the mage's own natural talent the power has become much more finely focused... and that much more difficult to stop."

"Are you saying it's going to keep expanding?" Kaarn demanded.

"Yes," Mono agreed. "Then the land will respond to her above all else."

"The more she changes the land the more power she gets so we need to stop her now, I don't care if it _is_ a trap, we need to stop her," Alessa said, clenching a fist.

"The four of you know that woman, that mage, better than I do," Ico said. "Why would she do this?"

"It's the despair," Alessa said at last. "It's got to be. Nekozna wants us to know that she doesn't care if we come in, we can't stop her anyway."

"She's wrong," Ryu said smiled grimly.


	10. Chapter 10

Bargain of Shadows

Chapter 10

That night, most of them were consumed with their own thoughts and fears and Mono was preparing her own incantations and invocations. She did speak with Alessa and Deis for some time outlining the specifics of their plan. While neither was a mage, they both had been expected to and displayed a rudimentary knowledge of magic in their homeland. The group itself did set a watch, Ico taking the first, followed by Kaarn, Deis and Alessa with Ryu taking the last watch before dawn from the redhead.

"Ryu, make sure you cover up," Alessa warned him when they switched off. "It's getting cold."

Ryu nodded and retrieved his cloak while Alessa built up the fire a little more and stepped back a bit to make sure the flames were hidden from castle and checked his sword and bow to make sure the string was ready. Alessa was right, it _was_ getting colder, colder than he had experienced since being up in the mountains and he wondered if it were the result of the mage or simply natural phenomena. Either way he probably wouldn't ever know. He divided his attention between the castle itself, and the forest around them, not that the woods seemed very active anymore. That more than anything else bothered him about the upcoming mission—only humans were stupid enough to go toward places animals were wary of. He glanced back to see Alessa only a bundle in the darkness next to her sister, the strange sword tied to Deis by several leather thongs.

The mist obscured the stars. It had risen up in the night, creeping in from the ocean even above the cliffs flowing along the forest floor at first until it swirled all around them, wrapping the forest in a blueish haze. It didn't obscure his vision that much but it created numerous shadows, made him more wary and hid the farther parts of the castle from his vision. Estimating perhaps an hour or so before the first rays of dawn, Ryu hurried over to the fire and kicked it over, making sure it was well and truly out before going to Alessa and Kaarn to wake them first.

"How early is it--" Alessa began.

"There's a mist," Ryu answered. "It might not provide much cover and she might be expecting us anyway, but I don't want to lose any advantage." After a moment Alessa sleepily nodded and struggled out of her bedroll to wake her sister while Kaarn did the same for Ico. Ryu continued on his way over to Mono, suppressing a superstitious gesture when he saw how still she slept. Her breathing was barely perceptible, almost like she was dead. Still there was something about her, a fineness in her features that was coupled with a potential for warmth that Ryu wished he had taken more time to talk to her on their journey. He placed a hand on her shoulder and shook gently but she remained asleep. Shaking a little harder also produced no reaction. Finally he leaned down and placed his lips right next to her ear.

"Mono," he whispered.

Her response surprised him. She opened her eyes and he thought he saw a kind of disappointment. Before he could react the curtain of calm sadness descended over them once more leaving her beautiful and vulnerable but also remote, like a flower coated in a thin layer of frost.

"What is it?" she asked at last.

"I'm sorry to awaken you this early," he explained. "But a mist has come up. We can use it as cover."

"Give me a minute and I will be ready." Ryu nodded leaving Mono to her own personal sadnesses as he began to pull together his own sleeping kit.

"What do we do about the horses?" Deis asked as he came over. "I think there's enough grass to keep them here but Kaarn is uncomfortable leaving them unattended. He thinks we're going to get out of this alive." Deis chuckled.

"Not all of us," Ryu answered. "I'm glad you can see it. Alessa would never let me say that."

The girl shrugged, a gesture very similar to Alessa's but Deis infused it with a kind of solidity and earthiness her sister lacked for all her time spent out in the world. "Her point of view is useful but I prefer my surprises to be pleasant ones. So we leave them here?"

"Just make sure they plenty of rope to graze. They're well trained, they won't bolt if we're gone for only a day or two."

-------------------------

Within a distressingly short time, they were ready. They waited at the edge of the woods now, the last bit of cover before the stone platform that preceded the the bridge leading to the castle. The mists hadn't thinned at all, maybe even thickened into fog when Ryu took a breath and was the first one to step out onto the platform. The platform itself was simple, though it did have some pillars and arches for ornamentation and path led down the cliffs to a small stone dock, though there was no boat. The strangest thing about the platform was the line of statutes on either side of the bridge itself. They were simply made, larger rectangular blocks carved to resemble soldiers—or as Alessa observed, colossi. They were a brilliant jade, radiating a subtle power. As they passed them by, Mono placed her hand on one and speculative look flitted across her features but she remained silent. Though the platform and bridge were wide enough for several people to walk side by side, Deis and Mono were a step behind him followed by Ico then Kaarn while Alessa brought up the rear. Ryu steeled himself and began the long walk across the bridge towards the open gates, shielded only by the mists.

The castle in the mist rose up before them, even more imposing up close than viewed as a whole. It's massive towards and bridges as solid as the bedrock they rose from. The walk across the bridge felt unending, as if they were making almost no progress toward the massive structure. It took them more than 10 minutes to make it across, making the bridge roughly a staggering half-mile long, still, it was a shorter distance than the great fallen bridge of the Forbidden Lands. They passed through the massive gates of bronze and stone carved in whorls and geometric lines, but Mono stopped and studied them until Ico gently touched her arm and asked her to hurry. She followed them through the entry and into the main courtyard largely hidden from the sun. It was smaller than expected but surrounded by the walls and towers of the castle as well as more jade statutes. Above them two suspension bridges extended to paths that led out onto the walls towards the east and west towers. They entered the first building, a great hall with a balcony around the edges and a huge bridge leading to the same level as the suspension bridges outside. Even farther above them was a chandelier supported by the wooden beams that braced the roof. Seeing no other options open to them, they crossed the floor of the great hall and were halfway across it towards the door when the shadows struck.

It was subtle at first, Ico and Deis noticing a shifting in the shadows. They paused and Ryu turned to them about to ask what was going on. Before he could, Kaarn shouted, "Ryu! Behind you!"

Ryu turned to see a shadow hurtling towards him. Before he could free his sword, he was shoved roughly to the ground by the shadow who stood above him, arms upraised over its head. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, but that shape itself constantly shifted around the edges, ephemeral. Ryu was stunned by contact with the shadow, feeling cold and dizzy all out of proportion to the blow he had taken. He heard Alessa scream and saw Deis and Kaarn with rushing the creature with sword and axe. The shadow jumped back out of range as Kaarn advanced on it while Deis stood protectively above him, her sword in her hand and oddly hilted blade strapped to her back. She was shouting something that he vaguely pieced together in fits and starts.

"...a wheel! Don't let them... ...seem scared of weapons...!"

As his head cleared he realized that they were surrounded and at least a dozen shadow shapes were converging on them from all corners of the hall. Mono placed her hands on him and Ryu immediately felt better, more clear as she helped him stand. He drew his sword and with a nod of thanks to the woman went up to stand next to Deis. All of them were surrounding Mono now, their backs to each other and against the shadows. The shadows shifted around them, looking for a weak spot in the circle, though they kept a healthy distance from them.

Ryu sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow. Knocking and arrow, he aimed at one of the shadows and fired. The arrow struck the creature who staggered back a few steps, little bits of shadow breaking off in puffs like a cloud hit by winds, but shortly it resumed its examination of their circle. Ryu fired another arrow but it was only on the third that it fell over on the ground writhing.

"Watch my back!" Ryu ordered as he dropped his bow and rushed forward with this blade.

"You idiot!" Deis screamed at him as her broke their circle.

Ryu was aware of the other shadows already moving to surround him but he was focused on the one on the ground. He raised his sword and stabbed at it, the blade sinking into the dark form but not through it onto the flags. The mist suddenly fell away from it but Ryu was already rushing back to the circle and reached it just before the shadows reached him. Deis jumped in front of the shadow but her sword was knocked from her hands and in desperation she swung the mystical blade against it. When it struck the shadow in one blow the shadow did more than just crumble and fade, it was like a mist was burned away to reveal a man.

Turning to look at the shadows they felled, Ryu was stunned to see the bodies of men. They were naked, with skin so pale it looked blue or gray, like a corpse covered in little bits of rock dust, and dark lesions covered both bodies from head to foot. But they were—had been—clearly men.

"What the hell ARE these things?" Alessa breathed. "How can they be human?"

"It doesn't matter," Deis admonished her. "They die."

"She's right," Kaarn added. "They're scared of our weapons. We need to get to the far door, we can't wait around in her for the mage to show up. Move together, slowly."

As they shuffled across the hall, the shadows moved with them, trying to keep them surrounded. But for some reason they neglected to block the doors. Finally, when the group were about to escape the shadows charged. Right before the two sides clashed, Ryu shouted for Ico to guard Mono at all costs.

The four experienced fighters broke their circle attacking one side of the shadow line and forcing a gap between the shadows. Ico slid through a gap and pushed Mono closer to the wall where hopefully she would be safer from the shadows as he watched the others engage the creatures. They moved deliberately, staying as close together as they could, and at first it worked well, the shadows rushed them but jumped back with wild gyrations to avoid the edged weapons of the group. Sometimes one of them would connect with the others and Alessa's staff seemed to do as much damage as Kaarn's axe or Ryu or Deis's swords. When Alessa swept one off its feet and struck it multiple times with her staff, the shadow broke apart revealing another human being beneath... this one a woman in the same condition as the man.

However when the shadows got behind them again the fight degenerated into a wild melee, with each fighter barely able to keep themselves alive as opposed to supporting the others. Ico struggled with the duties of protecting Mono and helping the others when Mono made a strangled sound. Whirling Ico saw one of the shadows had grabbed Mono around her waist and was pulling her toward what he could only describe as a writhing whirlpool of darkness in the floor. Without thinking he rushed at the shadow, and put his shoulder to it, feeling a flash of cold and disorientation allayed and instant later when Mono grabbed his arm. He pulled her behind him and advanced on the shadow, his face locked in a grimace of rage. Though inexperienced, he swung his sword with enthusiasm and maybe by luck more than anything else struck the creature several times across it's midsection. It clutched at it, falling back and with a howl of rage Ico rammed his sword right into it's chest so hard the tip of the blade skidded off the wall leaving sparks. The shadow disintegrated leaving behind another twisted body as Ico grabbed Mono close to him and looked around for another threat.

"Thank you," Mono whispered to him, clinging to him. "Their touch was... horrible. So empty, cold."

"I'm glad you're safe," Ico replied and to his surprise meant it. Maybe because she looked so like his wife. "But I need to have my arm free." She nodded and instead placed a hand on his waist. He could feel her trembling a bit even so.

Around them the shadows were gone. The other four fighters were standing or in Deis's case, kneeling on the stone floor breathing heavily. Deis was cursing quietly as Ryu was wrapping a bandage around her left forearm.

"I can't believe I was that slow," Deis said. "Those claws are nasty."

"Don't worry about it," Ryu replied. "Happens to the best of us. Everyone okay?" he called out.

The others nodded or called out and Ryu moved over to inspect one of the fallen bodies, a grim look on his face. This one was a young woman, perhaps their age, her body showing the same lesions as the others. Kaarn came over to do the same.

"She's dead."

"We do a good job of that," Ryu replied.

"She was already dead," Kaarn said. "There's no way she could be alive like that. Did all the castle dwellers become like this?"

"If so it's one more thing the mage needs to answer for," Ryu replied. "If everyone can walk, we really need to get moving. There might be more of those things!"

Still nervous but determined, the group of them left the main entrance hall and emerged into a short tower with spiral stairs. Climbing it they came to a large circular platform lined with a small balustrade of stone and with a strangely carved stone couch in one corner. A bridge led deeper into the keep across another gap that was filled with jagged rocks below. To the east, there were some tracks and mine carts that indicated it had been a quarry of some sort. Another opening behind them led into the room they had just fought through and to the balcony and bridge there. Alessa sat down on the couch while Kaarn studied the bridge and Mono held tight to Ico.

"They really like bridges I guess," Deis shrugged, a bit painfully due to her wound. "We should get going."

"Wait," Mono said suddenly after a whispered conversation.

"What is it?" Alessa asked standing up.

"This place... is _old_. As old as the Shrine of Worship. Too old to be built by the men who invaded the land. The patterns on the doors, the jade statutes... I do not understand just yet but it reminds me of the Shrine. We need to get to the towers. Alessa," she said turning a quiet smile on the girl, one of the first Ryu had seen from her, "You and Deis both have some skill, I instructed you both on how to set the seal on the gates. You both have some abilities that way."

"I thought we were going to go together," Alessa exclaimed. "With those shadows..."

"I do not think we have the time for that anymore," Mono said, a touch of sadness in her voice. "Things are moving too rapidly. I need to get to the main tower to set the final seal and cast the spell."

"Then we need to split up," Kaarn said and Mono nodded. He sighed. "Alessa and I will head for the east tower."

"Ico and I will head for the main tower."

"But he's not a trained fighter," Alessa protested.

"Ico must come with me," Mono said firmly and the girl drew back.

"Then take this," Deis said pulled off the sword they had reforged in the Forbidden Lands. "You saw it took one of those things out in one hit. You'll need it more than we will even if I was a bit slow this last time."

"Thank you," Ico said taking the blade. "You can count on me to get Mono to the tower."

"Then let's go Deis," Ryu said. "We haven't got much time to waste."

While the other two groups moved back to the balconies on their way to the towers, Ico and Mono made their way across the precarious bridge towards the heart of the castle. This part of the castle seemed more suited to habitation, with tall domes and windows, almost like a religiously themed section but with places off to the side that led to smaller rooms suitable for a few people. Neither of them looked into those rooms very much though, they were too focused on their task.

"What do you know about the shadows?" Ico asked her.

"I suspect only," Mono replied. "They are the people who died in the castle when that woman returned here, both soldiers and servants. I do not know if they accepted the shadows of their own will or were forced to submit. I... believe they are bound to the room they died in."

"That would be why they didn't block the door," the man with horns said.

"I could not know," Mono replied. "Thank you for coming with me."

"You're the key to this," Ico replied.

"Yet I am the cause of your problems."

"Maybe... maybe I realized that you were as alone as I felt," Ico answered at last. "We're both apart from the others in some way now. If we can comfort each other at all..."

"Thank you Ico," Mono said placing a hand on his shoulder. Her touch was warm and me caught himself giving her a smile. "You're a good man."

-------------------------

"I hate this!" Deis shouted.

"Keep running!" was all Ryu answered.

While the trip back through the room and even across the suspension bridge had been quiet, as soon as they climbed down the long ladder and onto the wall that lead to the western tower Deis had spotted several shadows coming after them down the ladder. Now they were both pelting across the wall as fast as they dared, Ryu relieved to see it had crenelations on either side to keep them from taking a plunge into the courtyard entry or the sea below. Looking up he blanched as he saw more shadows coming at them from the tower, they were trapped on the damn wall.

"Deis ahead of us too!"

"Son of a whore!" Deis snarled drawing her sword. "We have to fight now."

"Go for the ones in the front, maybe we can break through!"

With a shout Deis lunged for the nearest shadow, driving her sword deep into it, making it wriggle like a hooked fish. With a grunt she pulled out the blade in time to block the claws of the second shadow from striking her as Ryu caught up to her and squeezed around her to slash at that creature in the back, making it staggered enough for Deis to hack at its head. This time as the shadow disintegrated the human body that was its base fell to the sea below.

"Keep moving!" she shouted at Ryu and they left the other shadow behind as they pelted for the doors to the tower, framed like so many others with the jade statutes.

"Their better not be shadows in there," Ryu muttered.

-------------------------

Alessa and Kaarn entered the east tower room amazed at what they saw. A huge circular opening cut in the wall facing the doors let in light, while a second circular opening was covered by what seemed to be a cooper plate, also carved in the same whorls and swirls of the main gates. To either side were stairs leading up to doors opening out on a higher level while in the center there was a depression with a gate in the floor that could be raised to block the entrance into the tower.. The whole place had an air of majesty and mystery that subdued them both.

"Where?" Kaarn demanded, but quietly.

"Mono said there was a spot at the other end of the tower, keep going until we reach the metal structure on the other side."

They took one of the doors on their own level leading into the second huge room. They were on a balcony again, on the same level as the huge circular opening. Beneath the balcony reached by a ladder was a glowing circle in the floor and a set of broad, shallow stairs leading up to a third circular opening. Through that opening was a strange metal device.

"That has to be it!" Alessa said. "C'mon!"

They hurried down the ladder, still wary of shadows but encountered none as emerged through the circular opening and out into the grass area of the metal structure beyond the main tower. By this time Alessa could see the sun well into the morning sky above her, but the mist still remained, gripping the castle in a blurring blue distortion. She and Kaarn climbed down another ladder leading to the grassy stretch and approached the giant metal structure.

"Do what you need to do," Kaarn prompted when Alessa just stood there.

"O-Okay," she nodded. "But this is complicated, I'm... a little scared to botch it. I haven't worked anything even close to magic for a long time."

"You can do it," Kaarn encourged. She looked at him for a moment then nodded and approached the metal structure. It was facing out to sea and Alessa studied it closely before she found several sigils near its base.

"We need to turn it to face the hole," she said. "I need to cast the spell from the glowing circle inside but only after we turn this thing. Help me!"

Together with some effort and squeaking metal they managed to turn the metal structure to face the right way and went back inside the tower via the ladder. Kaarn stood scanning the room while Alessa stood in the center of the glowing circle on the floor and knelt down, her hands on either side of the center most sigils. Without warning, flames burst out of the sconces near the circular openings and the huge metal plate covering them pulled back as the metal structure suddenly shot a huge beam of light through the openings hitting a globe positioned far along the wall near the top of the gates. Alessa started at this and stood up, but gave a shriek as the circle began to rise up in the form of a pillar. Congruent with this, the shallow steps began to sink back into the floor.

As Kaarn helped her down from the pillar she shook her head. "I didn't think it would do that, wow. Okay that's my job done. We need to get back to the main tower and help Mono. I trust Ico but..."

"Alessa... we have company," Kaarn said.

Turning, Alessa saw at least a handful of shadowy shapes converging on them.

-------------------------

"That was easy enough," Deis said, brushing off her hands on her tunic. "I guess once we got past those shadows it all worked out."

"So did you actually cast a spell?"

"Not really, all I did was prime it. Mono will be the one powering the spell. That's why Alessa and I could do it, we actually didn't have to use any magic, just set it up. I was never much for mage material anyway."

Ryu extended a hand and helped Deis down from the now-raised pillar and she slid into his arms for a second to break her fall before he set her down on the floor. As they climbed the ladder leading up to the balcony and the door to the main room, she through a look over her shoulder at him, aware he had held onto her for a second longer than necessary. It wasn't a look that cautioned him, but more speculative and curious. They made their way into the next room without incident and went back out onto the wall gazing up at the beam of light shooting from the tower.

They jogged across the wall without incident and climbed the huge ladder back to the main courtyard with the suspension bridges, Deis in the lead. In a short time they had reached the circular tower at the rear of the room where they were first attacked and cross the bridge into the more ornate portions of the castle. They passed through several rooms before they came out onto yet another bridge, this one leading to the tallest tower on the north end of the castle. This tower was on an island much smaller than the others, but its height was such that it could nearly rival the Shrine of Worship. They passed through a few rooms, adorned with more of the jade statutes when they heard shouts and broke into a run with weapons drawn.

There in the main room, a huge room with giant stone shelves and alcoves, they saw Ico desperately swinging the glowing sword at several shadowy shapes. Deis and Ryu wasted little time in coming to their rescue attacking the shadows from behind, killing several and driving the rest off. Ico looked at them wild-eyed, standing protectively near Mono. There were already at least a dozen bodies around them, legacy or more shadows Ico had slain.

"You... you..." he panted.

"Ico--" Ryu began

"Behind you!" Mono said pointing. Ryu and Deis both whirled to see what had to be a score of shadows coming at them. "We need to get into the room beyond this!"

"Then go!" Ryu said. "Deis and I will hold them here. We set it all up, just cast your spell!"

"Thank you!" Mono called to them as she and Ico began to run up the stairs leading to the hindmost room.

"This doesn't look good," Ryu said to Deis as the shadows advanced on them.

"We just need to buy them time," she replied, calmly. He admired her calm even as he tried to emulate it as he nodded.

"I guess we're the ones not getting out."

"With you to guard my back, I intend to take them down with us," Deis grinned a bit wildly. "You up for it?"

"You know it," Ryu chuckled.

With a shout they rushed forward to meet the shadows.

-------------------------

"That has to be Ryu and Deis!" Alessa said to Kaarn. "Faster!"

After beating back the shadows in the tower, Alessa and Kaarn had a similar experience to Ryu and Deis as they ran back to where Mono would be. Both of them were scratched in several places and Alessa felt decidedly sick from the wounds, even Kaarn looked a little pale though it was hard to tell with his dark complexion. They ran through the main keep and tower, oblivious to any architectural oddities and emerged in the giant room to see their friends surrounded by shadows, maybe thirty of them now, but they were back to back and the shadows kept their distance.

"Shit," Alessa breathed.

"If we run down there they'll just surround us too," Kaarn snarled. "Dammit!" He looked around wildly at the room trying to find something he could use. There was nothing, the walls with the alcoves, the shelves, the dais at the far end reached by stairs.

"What's that lever?" he asked Alessa suddenly. The girl turned to see one sticking out of the wall not far from her. She shared a look with Kaarn, a look that clearly was one of desperation and pulled it. There was grinding noise but nothing obvious happened. Kaarn grimaced.

"No choice," he said to her and she nodded. Half falling have sliding down the stairs they rushed to meet the shadows and give Ryu and Deis some breathing room. The other two had seen them by now and were making a concerted effort to get at them making slow progress, but eventually they reunited still with shadows around them.

"Glad you're alive, Alessa," Deis said.

"Same here."

"They're more reckless now," Ryu said. "Not jumping back as much."

"Here they come again!" Alessa shouted.

Once more the fighters went back to back. Attacking the shadows, felling some, but taking some wounds as well, this time it was Kaarn. But every time a shadow fell, another would take its place in an endless stream. They were being worn down and they knew it.

"At least I could go out with my friends," Alessa was saying when Kaarn pointed out something.

"There by the far door!" They looked and saw a man, staggering slowly towards them. Clearly a man, not a shadow, though as with the others, dark lesions covered his body and he was pale as death. But he wasn't a shadow.

"He's not dead!" Deis gasped.

It was true. The lord of the castle, Elarro, himself was still alive, though most of his people had already succumbed to the shadows. He still wore the remnants of his armor and held his swords in his hands. Almost as if they still acknowledged him as their lord, the shadows fell back before him, giving them a pause though they still blocked the way back into the throne room.

"The mage," he rasped. "Betrayed us, slew us all to give her more power. The dead... so much easier to control she said. She couldn't kill _me_. Not Elarro. This is my castle! I recognize you, you fought me in that place, that land that haunts my dreams now. You came to stop that woman."

"Yes," Ryu said quietly.

"Then _stop_ her!" the dying lord shouted. "These are still my people, my subjects. I will not surrender to the shadows. Let them pass!" he shouted at the shadows... and surprisingly a gap opened up. "They mean to free you. To free us. Let them try. If there is anything left of you that followed me in my hubris, let them try. Go!" he shouted at them. "I do not know how long they will listen to me."

Taking advantage of the lull, the four of them raced for the throne room at the rear of the great hall. The throne room itself was a less ornate chamber than the hall, save for one thing, the ceiling was so far up that it was lost in the poor light of the chamber. Two statues stood side by side near the stairs leading up to the throne itself, and it was before this throne that the mage that had taken the power stood.

Of all the denizens of the castle she remained the most human in appearance. Wearing the same dark dress she had in the Forbidden land, dark of skin, hair and eyes. But there was something about her, something about the way she moved, almost flowed that showed that human was not the best way to describe her. Ico and Mono stood before her, between the two pillars closest the throne facing her down, silently. When the others entered the mage looked at them for a moment and smiled a tiny smile of satisfaction.

"Why is she just standing there?!" Alessa demanded.

"She is... blocking me," Mono said, raggedly, more emotionally than they had ever heard her before. "The spell is completed but I can't ignite it! Not with her there. I need to take the power back."

"Then we have no choice..." Ryu said. Deis nodded.

Wordlessly the 4 of them began to spread out approaching the mage who waited patiently for them before the throne. Ico gripped the mystical sword tightly in his hands and guarded Mono. Remembering how they had been beaten so badly the last time, the group was cautious but Mono's pleas drove them on towards the confrontation.

"Welcome," the mage said at last. Her voice was different now, a deeper timbre, echoing very faintly with a voice different than her own. Her skin was also pale, noticeably more pale than before. "I am glad both sisters are here to witness my triumph."

"Shut up!" Alessa snapped. "You're going to fail."

"No," the mage replied. "I have already won. Look around you, this place it was so much like the place I had been before..." she trailed off for a moment looking dreamy. "My power spreads endlessly."

"But why?" Kaarn asked. "Why control everything?!"

"Because in that control lies safety. The pain endured before was great, the loneliness the fear."

"Just. Stop. Talking!" Deis growled. "I used to hate you. I've hated you since I was a child. What you did to us, but I don't even care about that now. I'm doing this for Ico's people. I won't let them hurt like mine were hurt."

The mage never moved, but all of a sudden a huge circular blast wave expanded from her racing towards them and giving them no place to hide. Ryu and the others braced themselves for the impact but there was nothing. The blast wave dissipated before it hit them.

"I cannot allow you to do this," Mono said lowering her hands. "I do not want the power. But I will not let you have it and twist it. I will not let you hurt them like that, not if I can prevent it."

"You felt it too," the mage said. "You felt its desires, the longing for freedom. Controlling it all is the only way to be free. You should understand that."

"I do!" Mono said half in a moan grabbing at her head. "I felt so afraid! But it is impossible. What is the point of being free if there is no one left to share it with—how is being the only one different than being dead?"

The mage raised her one hand toward Mono and Mono raised her hands again toward the mage, there was nothing this time, no lightning, no sound, but a distortion appeared in the air between them, a distortion that only got worse as both women began to duel. Swearing Alessa rushed at the mage, the others also closing the distance hoping her conversation and battle with Mono would keep her distracted. She struck at the mage, but her weapon bounced off a shield wall that flashed into existence around her and she staggered back down the steps, her hands numb. Deis and Ryu struck as well with no better results, then Kaarn.

"What can we do?" Ryu growled.

"Just... just keep trying!" Alessa panted. "Ico, help us!"

"Shadows!" Kaarn shouted. Deis made an angry frustrated sound.

"Then he is dead," Ryu said to himself.

"Ico you have to help us!" Alessa screamed again even as she turned with Deis and the others to hold off the shapes streaming toward them from the doorway. With the shadows only coming from one direction they had it much easier than before but they seemed even more desperate, attacking an intensity that wore them all down.

The only real effort she seemed to be expending was against Mono, a Mono clearly faltering under the assault as the woman was on her knees now, her face pale as death. Ico stood next to her staring at her helplessly, paralyzed. Suddenly, Mono screamed and collapsed.

"I cannot... Ico help them!" Mono pleaded panting. "Stop her!"

He slowly turned to face the mage raising the glowing sword. This time when the mage lashed out with her power Ico held up the glowing blade... and the wave of energy parted before him, sparing him and the fallen Mono. The mage actually registered shock and stepped back a pace but Ico wasted not a moment, he ran up the stairs to the dais the sword held at his side and swung it at her stomach in a vicious arc. The sword contacted the shield around the mage, but instead of merely bouncing off, the shield wavering, losing its circular shape and littles bits flaked off as ripples flowed around it. The mage made a pained sound and staggered back closer to the dais, but the impact of the shield knocked the sword back from Ico's hands. It clattered near the fallen Mono.

"Pick it up," Mono pleaded still holding her head. "It hurts... so much... Ico!"

Ico flexed his hands as he raced back for the blade even as the mage stood up again. He grabbed it and whirled blocking the energy that the mage flung at him. More sure this time, and ran at her again, confident in the sword's abilities, and his own and struck at the shield again. The shield wavered even more this time and the mage fell to the ground even as Ico staggered back,

"Why... can't I affect it..." she whispered.

"Because it's been made with hope," Ico answered her. "And love for the people of the land. Something I gather you can never understand."

Almost solemnly, he raised the sword and drove it down towards the mage one last time. This time the shield shattered, breaking into a thousand tiny bits and Ico screamed in pain as the shards of the energy cut him but he did not let up and drove the sword into the mage's belly where she was collapsed at the base of the throne. The mage gave a great cry of pain and despair as Ico fell to the ground near her and the shadow shapes attacking the others vanished, leaving the dead bodies of the castle's populace scattered around the floor like broken dolls. As the mage writhed on the end of the sword, Mono half staggered, half crawled toward her, mouth moving soundlessly.

"Mono!" Alessa shouted.

"I understand. I have to stay here now," the woman said with frightening calm. "It is the only way to contain the shadows. If there are ever any touched by the shadows, send them to me. I will not turn them away."

"Alessa have to go! We can't be trapped by the seal," Deis said, grabbing her sister and bodily yanking her towards the doorway. Alessa struggled against Deis's grip but even wounded her sister was the stronger.

"I will stay with her," Ico said, coughing blood as he dragged himself into a sitting position. "I'm dying anyway. Tell Akami... tell her I love her."

With a strangled sob, Alessa turned away from them even as Mono finally reached the fallen mage and the four of them began to flee the castle.

-------------------------

"All that you have, is rightfully mine," Mono said looking down at the dying mage. The other was too weak to do anything against her and as Mono stood over her, tentacles of shadow streamed from the fallen woman's body writing through the air in complex circular patterns before shattering into clouds of shadow. As the shadow clouds began to settle to the ground Mono raised her head to look at them and they began to shift and change patterns, caught up in a whirlpool of unfelt winds and pressures that swirled around Mono herself, unfelt winds that caressed her hair and gown and skin. Suddenly, there was a sharp clap, almost of thunder.

For a moment the throne room was utterly still but for Ico's labored breathing and the silently swirling shadows. Mono stood motionless as the dark mist was absorbed into her body. Covering her for just an instant in shadows.

When the shadows broke, Mono's eyes were half closed almost in pleasure as she felt the power inside her once again. Turning toward the fallen mage, she reached out an elegant hand and grasped the hilt of the sword still embedded in the mage. When her fingers closed around it, she let out a breathy gasp, almost in pain. The wounded Ico could see fine tendrils of smoke where the girl's skin contacted the hilt. With one smooth motion, Mono pulled the sword from the body of the mage and without another look at Ico, left the throne room.

The castle itself was now still, the mist that had permeated the outside now flowing inside, but twisted into a harsh light limned with blackness in a desolate contrast that only increased as Mono passed through it. Her breathing was louder now, more labored and painful as her hand kept its grip on the sword. She descended from the great hall via a lift to the base of the small island. There she emerged onto a small rocky dock with a path that lead to a small altar. Staggering a bit, the girl forced herself to the altar and placed the sword down on it.

Mono placed her other hand on the blade and as before, tendrils of smoke rose from it. She opened her mouth and began to whispered, sounds emerging from her throat that were identifiable as words only by the spaces between them. Light began to gather around the sword, and far above Mono the castle itself began to shimmer in the mists. From the great tower a beacon appeared at its height, brilliant even in the day's light. All of a sudden the great gates slammed shut, the doors glowing momentarily with the brilliant warmth of the sun and forming a massive triangular form before they went dead, the gates mere bronze and stone once more, the beacon on the tower faded to nothing.

The spell completed, Mono staggered back to the lift, barely able to move the lever to raise the platform to the level of the great hall. As she crawled back into the hall, she looked up and saw a figure coming toward her, also unsteady on his feet. Ico.

"Ico," she whispered to him. "Ico I need you."

After what seemed an eternity his eyes fixed on her. "She is..."

"The other is dead. I remain," Mono replied. He smiled. "Ico listen to me," her voice was deeper now, though not as changed as the mage had been with a hint of command though quieter than even her whisper. "I need you. Help me."

He stared at her almost as if he didn't know her, his eyes hazed in pain and fatigue. Desperate now, gathering the last of her strength Mono began to change ever so slightly. Her face rounded a bit, her skin becoming a shade more golden, her eyes a touch lighter. "My love," she said at last in a voice not her own.

"A-Akami," Ico breathed. "No... my face..."

"I do not reject you, never reject one with the horns," she said. "Listen to me, dearest I know you hurt but I need your help."

"So tired..."

"I will not ask much. Just... come to me. Give yourself to me, so we can be together," she urged, lifting one hand in a pleading gesture.

After what seemed an eternity he nodded and reached for her. Mono gently placed her hand in his and from her finger tips a cool light began to spread out over his skin. Where it passed, Ico's cuts and bruises were healed, sealed up as if they had never been, but following the light a darkness began to spread across him as well, coating him in a layer of shadow even as the creatures that the mage had commanded. Mono's face faded and shimmered away to reveal her own features. Her real face was utterly frozen as this process worked on Ico, coating his limbs and torso and finally his head and the horns there. Only when it reached his face did there manifest a difference. Instead of utter darkness, the face was covered in a mask of cool light.

"Akami..." he whispered at the last, barely audible.

A tiny, greedy smile appeared on Mono's face as the shadow creature stood before her. As Mono rose, almost flowing to her feet, her white gown fell away from her shredding into dust, and she stood before him naked and uncaring as she began her final transformation. Her skin drained of all color until she was as white and cool as snow. Her hair began lengthen and swirl around her face like stormed tossed water. Shadows flowed from her body, clothing her in a dark mantle of shadow that rippled around her, draped around her from her shoulders framing her pale throat. It moved constantly, shifting and pulsing until it writhed almost like a living thing. Hints of blue played around her where the darkness of her hair and mantle met the argent perfection of her flesh. Her dark eyes were faded completely now, almost to the same shade as her lips. They were only able to be called a color because they were darker than her skin.

"I will keep the faith," she said. "I will contain my male counterpart in this place. You will help me," she directed to the shadowy horned figure. "You are the first, but there will be more. All sustaining me, working my will. As long as I live the seal will hold..."

"That is ...forever," the Queen murmured.


	11. Chapter 11

Bargain of Shadows

Epilogue

Alessa was very quiet on the ride back to the Forbidden Land.

Just after they'd fled the castle all of them had been so exhausted both emotionally and physically that they'd made camp that night in silence around a small fire that Ryu forced himself to make. Ryu had finally forced the issue when he asked if they really were going back. They'd done what they came to do. Deis and Kaarn considered it but the dark man pointed out that they needed to see if whatever Mono had done had actually worked. They might still be needed. Alessa had only shaken her head and started without bothering to say anything to the others.

Deis had noticed her silence and kept shooting worried looks at her sister. Deis believed something about the sacrifice Mono and Ico had made had affected Alessa even more deeply than the others. She remembered Alessa's near constant work to organize the refugees and take care of their safety and wondered if Alessa felt she'd failed them in some way.

Now over a week later they were finally nearing the stone wall that blocked easy access to the lands when a bird call sounded and Deis head whipped around.

"Hold up!" she said, her voice very loud in the stillness.

"It's just a hawk--"

"It's a short-tail," Deis interrupted Ryu.

"What's that got to do--oh. I get it."

They waited for a moment in silence that grew a little more ominous with each passing moment until a rustle in the bushes brought out a familiar looking fair.

"Hejeria," Deis said with audible relief.

"Akami," Ryu said, dismounting. He stood there staring at her unable to go on.

"Akami," Alessa whispered and hung her head.

"Glad to see you're back my lady," Hejeria said with a slight smile the most he usually gave. He walked over to Deis and they clasped wrists. It wasn't a very lady-like greeting but they weren't in a very formal place in the woods, and she wasn't a very traditional lady.

"I'm glad to be back," Deis answered. Hejeria would have said more but then he noticed something Akami had already. Deis shook her head and looked away from him when Akami let out a despairing moan then looked back when she heard Alessa begin to cry too.

Both women had moved away from the others, Akami stumbling over the uneven ground kept upright by Alessa's arm around her waist. Deis's sister was crying to, she could see the glistening tears on her cheeks as they moved away from the others. Akami finally slid to the ground against the stone wall near the entrance to the passageway leading through the cliffs, but her head in her hands and cried. Alessa sat down next to her and put her arms around her, whispering to her urgently.

"Where--" Ryu's voice broke and he tried again. "Why were you waiting for us?"

"You can't go back there," Hejeria responded. "The land is no more, or will not be soon."

"What does that mean?" Deis hissed grabbing him by the arm. If this had all been for nothing…

"It happened over a week ago," Hejeria responded. "The storms were growing every hour and even the Shrine seemed like it would be no protection. Tremors were becoming more violent, rain without ceasing, winds that uprooted trees--but then it stopped."

"But that's good right?" Kaarn asked joining them.

"I shouldn't be the one telling you this," the captain looked pained.

"She's in no condition, I'm making it an order," Deis answered.

"Very well Lady Deis. After the calm, the people in the Shrine rejoiced but it became apparent that something else was happening: the land was dying. The deserts began to grow immediately and the greenery to die. Even the pool in the shrine began to dry up before the day was over. I've never seen anything like it--I've seen deserts grow before but it was like years was compressed into a span of days in this area. Lady Akami asked for me to send messengers to the other pockets of refugees to meet her at the shrine in 3 days and after that we would be leaving.

"It took us several more days to climb the cliffs but once we did we went east. No one wanted to go closer to Ishoken Castle. Most of our men went with them, as did Lady Akami but I stayed behind to watch for you. Lady Akami returned after a few days to make sure I was all right and do confirm that the land was dying beyond the wall. That was early today. Lady Deis what happened?"

"I don't know," Deis said with a sigh.

"The danger is past I think," Kaarn shrugged. "But beyond that who can say?"

"Ahem, ah, guys… Deis…" Alessa's voice made them turn.

Alessa and Akami had come up to them. Both of them were tear-streaked though only Alessa with her pale skin and dusting of freckles looked blotchy from crying. Deis suddenly noticed something different about her sister, something she'd been seeing all this time--the guilt and sadness in her eyes was gone. Her eyes narrowed as she studied her sister more closely….

"We will found the villages anew," Akami said after a sniffle. "Farther east, nearer the mountains. We'll clear forest and tend it as any other men would."

"That's good to hear," Ryu answered. "If you want we can stay for a while but I'm not sure Deis can--or if I can," he admitted with a glance at the stockier girl.

"Yeah about that," Deis began. "It probably would be all right if we stayed a while to help rebuild at least."

"No," Alessa said. "It's probably best to go. There may not be an urgent need for 50 men, but if none of them come back you know there will be a larger investigation team sent."

"I guess," Ryu shrugged. "Akami what do you think?"

"I'm deferring to Alessa's judgment," Akami answered.

"Huh?" Ryu sounded confused and suddenly it clicked for Deis.

"You're not leaving," she said to Alessa.

"What?!" Ryu gasped and even Kaarn looked startled.

"You felt guilty about what happened and so you're settling down," Deis went on. "I've been watching you sis, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have something of that feeling myself."

"No way," Ryu said talking too fast. "We're a team, the three of us. If you stay we'll all stay. C'mon Alessa you can't be serious. We still have a job to do…."

"No," Alessa said. "Ryu, revenge on the Empire is important but I'm done with that. I like you guys, I really do, and we'll always be friends but I found a people I have to protect. I'm not going to leave them in the face of a new challenge."

"But they--Deis say something!"

"Not going to declare yourself Queen are you?" Deis asked sarcastically. "No I didn't think so."

"Shaman actually. I want to put my mage skills to good use."

"Yeah, well…." Dies went over to give her sister a hug. "Good luck Alessa. I know they'll be in good hands with you."

"That's it?!" Ryu said.

"What do you want me to do?" Deis asked him. "When has she ever listened to me. Besides I happen to think she'll do pretty well."

"None of us are bound Ryu," Kaarn said. "You know that."

"I guess this is it then," Ryu said. "Our group is over. I still remember my promise to you Deis…"

"Well I won't be turning you in."

"You're letting me go?"

"In a manner of speaking," Deis said with a chuckle.

"But…. Damn, we really do need to go on to find a way against the Empire at least. But it'll be tough with just the two of us."

"Who said there's only going to be two of us?" Deis said grinning as Ryu started.

"You?!"

"I found you right? My job's done. The Empire doesn't need me and Genria doesn't either, not anymore they're doing fine now."

"But, but why?" he sputtered.

When she winked at him. The idiot took a step back from her.

"Don't make me spell it out for you in words of one syllable, please," she said with a sigh.

Akami laughed a little, looking more cheerful than she had so far and leaned over to whispered in Ryu's ear.

"You can't be serious," he said doing a double take in her direction. "Her?"

Akami nodded. "Alessa told me."

"But with Deis…?"

"Hey!" Deis said. "That's not very nice! Besides," she grinned "I feel the same way. It just happened."

"Oh, oh gods!" Ryu said and sat down hard on the ground.

"Is he like this a lot?" Deis said with a sour look to Kaarn.

"More than we'd like to admit, right Alessa?"

"I think someone as tough as my little sister could kick him into shape," the red-haired girl answered.

"And you?" Deis said to Hejeria. "You've been quiet."

"Lady Deis--"

"Just Deis now, I guess," she interrupted. "I've resigned effective as of now."

"I've known you for years, I'd seen this coming to be honest."

"Well Ryu? Looks like we've got the future all planned, at least if you care to join us Kaarn?"

"In truth, what else will I do?" he said stretching out. "I find I want to see some new places."

"There you go," Deis said. "You're the last one."

"I'm not letting you be in charge," Ryu said.

"You were a team before and we're still a team now," Deis agreed.

"It looks like I've got no choice," Ryu said. "And now that I think of it maybe you won't be too bad…. Hey--ouch!" he cried as Deis tossed a pebble at him. "I knew you were a spitfire but--ouch! Deis!"

--

In the end it was another week before Ryu, Deis, and Kaarn left heading east through the forest. Their plan was to skirt the environs of the castle and do a final check to make sure everything was as it should be and then move north and west along the coast into lands none of them had much knowledge about once they left the forest. Behind them they left the new village of Canossa in an industrious bustle though Deis had kept out of site of her own men.

"Will we really be all right?" Akami asked Alessa as they watched the three disappear into the forest.

"You mean will the Empire move south? I don't know," she said. "I guess they found something farther north of Genria that's taking up their attention but even if they do it won't be for a long time. Hejeria is thinking up a good story and her men believe she's fallen in the battle so there shouldn't be an investigation. She told me the Empire was glad to send her here because she was starting to become a rallying point for disaffected citizens. They won't look too hard."

"That's not what I mean," Akami said touching her belly lightly.

"Oh," Alessa said. That was a different question and a different kind of question. "Mono said if a horned child couldn't live in peace to send them to her and she'd take care of them."

"I hate that he's gone Alessa," Akami said looking down. "I hate being alone so much. And if I have to give up the child too..."

"Well then we'll just find another way," Alessa said cheerfully to help her friend. "With compassion and love, who knows what's possible? So what will you name it?"

"Ico if it's a boy of course."

"Of course, but a girl…?"

"…Oh I hadn't thought of that. I don't know," she admitted. "Alessa, what do you think is a pretty name?"

Alessa thought for a moment.

"I kind of like…

...Yorda."


End file.
